FTII talks to continue in Delhi on October 6

During the talks, students held firm on their 'core demand' of dissolving the FTII society headed by Gajendra Chauhan.

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The students are protesting against the appointment of TV actor and BJP member Gajendra Chauhan as the institute’s chairman and demanding his removal.

The second round of talks between the protesting students of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry held at Films Division, Mumbai, Thursday afternoon too failed to end the logjam. The delegation of students will now meet Sunil Arora, Secretary, I&B, in Delhi on October 6.

Thursday’s meeting was scheduled after the previous discussions, which took place on September 29 between a delegation of seven students and Joint Secretary (Films), I&B, Sanjay Murthy, failed to achieve any breakthrough. The students have been protesting against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan and four other members to the institute’s governing council.

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Without giving out details of what transpired at the three-hour meeting, Vikas Urs, secretary of the FTII Students’ Association, called the series of talks “a continuous process”. “We took up the same issues we have been talking about for the last 112 days. Both sides are trying to understand the situation and its complexities… Both need some clarity to arrive at any kind of solution,” said Urs, who led the delegation.

The FTII students have been protesting since June 12. They also went on an indefinite hunger strike, which ended after the government agreed to hold talks with them.

When asked if they would toe the government line, Urs said they hadn’t softened their stance. He said the government’s readiness to talk was a positive sign. “In both the previous meetings, the government proposed further meetings. We are happy that they are constantly meeting us, something that was not happening earlier,” added Urs.

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