It is natural that there will be
moves to appoint right-wing faces in institutions of esteem that are considered
important socio-culturally. Educational outfits and outfits related to history,
culture and society are the prime names under scanner whenever a different
political ideology takes the ruling centre-stage in the country.
Congress did it so when it came
to the power in 2004 and ruled the country for 10 years. It appointed people
from its ranks or people of the ideology it followed. Before Congress, the BJP
did so. Now the BJP is doing it again, after storming back to power with
complete majority in 2014.
That is the price the society
needs to pay to remain and grow democratically - in a democracy with multiple
parties and multiple ideologies. And the price may be affordable, may be just
right - or may be bad when people are rewarded with headship of institutions
based on their political affiliation and not on their professional merit.
Now, Gajendra Chauhan's
appointment as the chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India
(FTII), Pune, the most premier institute of country on the art of filmmaking is
a bad price that the society will be forced to pay if the government has its
way.
Mr. Chauhan's logic of other FTII
chairmen belonging to the ideologies of the ruling dispensations of their times
may hold some ground but it doesn't justify his appointment. He is nowhere near
to the likes of Adoor Gopalakrishnan or Girish Karnad, some of the names who
headed the institution in the past.
To his claim, he has just one role
- Mahabharat's Yudhisthir - that we can talk about. But that was also in 1990.
To his claim are some forgettable films. To his claim are some television roles
that require a bit of googling to know about. And to his claim is his over two
decades long BJP membership.
A membership that has given him
this chairmanship. And he accepts it. But while he may be a self-made man as he
says, he has lobbied for something wrong. FTII is simply not a place to be
headed by someone like Gajendra Chauhan. He will kill its free spirit. He will
compromise its creative freedom. He lacks the credential to head it. He doesn't
have even one when we expect multiple of them from a person heading FTII or any
other similar institution. Also, it is not that there are no notable names on
filmmaking with a rightwing affiliation. They are bound to be there. People
with finesse of art and professional expertise may have any political ideology.
It was the responsibility of the government to choose the right one to head
FTII.
FTII students are protesting
against Chauhan's appointment. They are not ready to accept him and they are
right in doing so. They are writing open letters, organizing protest demonstrations
and are running social media campaigns. Yesterdays, they extended their protest
by launching a video that is spoof on Gajendra Chauhan. Like Gajendra Chauhan's
name, this video is also self-explanatory on 'why Gajendra Chauhan must not be
made FTII chairman'.
