Representational Image | Image Courtesy: Hindustan Times
Students of Haryana Film and Television Institute have been protesting against the autocratic tactics of the administration for almost a month now. The students have boycotted classes and examinations and are now sitting on an ongoing hunger strike for the past three days in the varsity’s Rohtak campus.
The protests against the proposed plan of the administration to introduce new programmes – despite the failure to provide infrastructural support to the students – have been gaining momentum from May 6.
Speaking to NewsClick, Akshit Sharma of the institute, who is also sitting on a hunger strike, said, “The university is going to start a master’s degree programme in each of the four departments i.e. Design, Urban Planning and Architecture, Fine Arts and Film and Television. But unlike other departments, our department (Film and Television) will not have a master’s degree in our field of study i.e. cinema. It is an attempt to dissolve the Film and Television Institute. We are not against the programme, but we want it in the field of film and television.”
The protesting students said: “The institute doesn't have sufficient resources to fulfil the needs of even five students. Under such circumstances, seats are being increased by three without any prior preparation.”
The protesting students told NewsClick, “Even if we’re provided with optimum amount of resources, it is still practically impossible to complete the prescribed syllabus in given time because this syllabus was prepared keeping 12 seats per specialisation in mind. The university is planning to change the syllabus for which they are going to cut our exercises and projects.”
Following the protests, the administration has filed complaints against 14 students of the institute, and has rusticated them from the institute without any warning. The students are booked under IPC Section 143, 149,186, 189 and 353. The district court has issued an order that the students cannot protest within the periphery of 250 meters from the campus.
Currently, parents of the protesting students are also reaching out to the administration so that a consensus can reached.
*This is a developing story.
