This is an archive article published on January 31, 2023
Week after director’s resignation, Kerala visual science institute Chairman Adoor Gopalakrishnan quits post
While several film professionals had backed the students' agitation, Adoor Gopalakrishnan had supported the beleaguered director saying the allegations against Shankar Mohan were 'baseless'.
Week after director’s resignation, Kerala visual science institute Chairman Adoor Gopalakrishnan quits post
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Acclaimed filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan on Tuesday resigned as the chairman of Kottayam-based K R Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts.
Gopalakrishnan’s resignation came a week after the institute’s director Shankar Mohan had quit in the wake of allegations of caste discrimination. Close on the heels of Gopalakrishnan’s decision, eminent filmmaker Girish Kasarvali also quit as the chairman of the academic council of the institute, which has Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as the president of the governing body.
Some students of the institute, named after the first Dalit President of India K R Narayanan, had been on agitation since December 5, demanding ouster of Mohan. Under the banner of the Institute Students Council, they had alleged that Mohan had undermined the reservation norms for admission in the current academic year and had discriminated against the staff on the basis of caste. Along with the students, a section of cleaning staff at the institute had also joined the agitation, seeking removal of the director.
Subsequently, the government appointed a probe panel, and Mohan quit on January 21 days after the committee submitted the report. Announcing his decision to quit as the chairman of the film institute, Gopalakrishnan on Tuesday said he handed over his resignation letter to the Chief Minister.
“The allegations against Mohan were baseless. He was invited to head the institute in Kerala and then shown the door after being insulted. The film institute was in a shambles and Mohan had toiled hard to convert it into one of the best film institutes in the country. He had served as the director of the International Film Festival of India and had headed Kolkata-based Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute without giving room for any complaints. We had invited such a professional to Kerala and forced him to quit after raising baseless and detestable allegations,’’ said Gopalakrishnan.
The film director said the allegations of the agitators were baseless. “They had alleged that Mohan had forced sweepers belonging to Dalit community to clean toilets at his home. There is not a single Dalit among the sweepers. They all belong to other communities,” he said.
Gopalakrishnan also backed Mohan over the reservation controversy at the institute. “We haven’t changed the reservation norms. LBS Centre for Science and Technology has been entrusted with the admission process right from the beginning of the institute. Film institute has no role in that process,” he said.
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He said the allegation of caste discrimination has a good market in Kerala. “A Dalit employee at the institute had influenced the media. He had sent several complaints to the SC/ST Commission. He was warned for suppressing the files related to student grants. As that employee’s term was slated to end last December, he feared that he would not get another extension. He had spread allegations against the director,” he said.
Gopalakrishnan also took strong exception to the probe panel instituted by the Higher Education Department to look into the allegations against the director. “The probe committee had not heard neither me nor the director,’’ he said.
On January 21, after quitting as the director of the institute, Mohan had said there was stiff resistance against the process to put the institute on track and bring in discipline in every realm of the institute. “I had taken action against the drug-and-liquor racket at the institute. I have done the job of a director, which any person is supposed to do. There was not even an attendance system at the institute, but I made it mandatory and recently introduced a biometric attendance system, which had irked certain quarters,’’ he said.
Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India.
Expertise, Experience, and Authority
Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment.
Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes:
Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration.
Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules.
Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More
