Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur on Thursday faced hostile reception from students at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), as the students staged protest against the minister’s visit to the Pune-based FTII.
As part of their protest, the agitating students displayed placards which among other things read:"Minister of Hate, you’re not welcome”/.
In a statement issued to the media, the FTII’s agitating students dubbed his presence at the FTII as “ the looming threat to the legacy of FTII and what it stands for”. “So we stand strongly against the communal hatred spread through his speech as well as the glorification of his visit to the FTII premises by the administration,” the statement said.
“The FTII administration is welcoming a venomous communal instigator Anurag Thakur. Our country is well aware of his infamous quotes like ‘desh gaddron ko goli maro salon ko'' at an election rally and also ill-consequences of his speech which tore into the social fabric of this nation,” the students’ union said in a statement in the afternoon.
“The FTII has always set the precedence of nurturing democratic, secular and a progressive atmosphere which has been constantly threatened during this regime,” the statement issued by the students said.
“With his imminent arrival in our beloved campus, we consider it imperative to bring these issues to light. We are conducting a peaceful demonstration inside our institute to counter the welcome he has extended. We do not stand by his actions and condemn his practices firmly,” the students said in a statement issued earlier in the day.
Earlier in the day, the Minister held a meeting to review the functioning of Film and television Institute of India (FTII) and deliberated on the vision of taking FTII to international standards of excellence.
“I interacted with the FTII students and faculty to understand how we can work together to showcase the best of this institute and make it ready for new age cinematic excellence, partnerships and more,” the Minister said.
Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur also released Hindi edition of Lensight, the academic journal of FTII. The Minister was given a tour of the Institute.
Thakur said that collaborations with film institutes of international repute would enhance the storytelling capabilities of students. FTII should nurture entrepreneurial skills and equip students to launch startups in film and television productions, he added.
“FTII is a prestigious institute of India. During the review meeting an elaborate discussion was held on how to take FTII forward in the TV & Film sector and also promote FTII in the field of Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics. Also, by honing the skills in our students they can be transformed from job-seekers to entrepreneurs,” an official statement issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) quoted the minister as telling the students
“Our institutions and students are central to achieving our vision in the Media & Entertainment sector,” Thakur said during his one-day visit to Pune.
“It’s time to re-position our lens and aim to make India- the content hub of the world,” the Minister said.
The Minister held a review meeting at Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), and National Film Archive of India (NFAI) ON Thursday.