When Rahul Gandhi met FTII students

When Rahul Gandhi walked into the Film and Television Institute of India campus in Pune today, he wasn’t the typical politician who had come to give a speech. Instead, he was more of a sympathiser-friend who was there to engage with students and give them a pep talk. Clad in a dark coloured tee shirt and denims, the Congress vice president accepted a bunch of flowers with a smile and cheerfully mingled with students as he walked in chatting with the group that had gathered at the gate. In the hall, instead of sitting on a podium, he stood in front of the students occasionally perching on the edge of the dais. Flanked by students’ leaders, he smiled frequently, listened attentively and engaged the students in a conversation. The hour-long interaction was more of a pep talk but Gandhi grabbed the opportunity to hit out at the prime minister and the RSS. “The nature of the discussion is – you agree with us then fine. If not, we will smash you. To shut people up they call you anti-national, anti-Hindu,” he said to the gathered students.  

The protesting students, now in their 50th day of strike, were only too happy to welcome Gandhi, probably their most prominent guest in the past few months and one who they have their hopes pinned on. With numerous appeals to the government to replace Gajendra Singh Chauhan falling on deaf ears, the students’ association was glad to get support from the Congress vice president. In the past few days, they had written to MPs of various parties asking for their support in this battle against Chauhan. The students were hopeful that his intervention would help, like it did in the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle in controversy in IIT Madras.

The discussion touched upon various concerns — from the government’s refusal to replace Chauhan to a fear of privatisation. “I won't be for privatisation of an institution like this. I am standing firmly by you,” said Gandhi to a thunderous applause from the students. Even as students explained the reason for their opposition to Chauhan, Gandhi said “the government is disturbed by 250 of you. Your voice must be heard.” He was accompanied by film actors Raj Babbar and Chiranjeevi, who sat among the students. After hearing out the students, Gandhi echoed their opinion saying: “The government is taking a mediocre person and forcibly putting him on top of students who don’t want to live a mediocre life.” He urged the striking students to continue their fight saying that in a democracy, “if so many people don’t want a person, then he shouldn’t be there”.

Students, who were disappointed by the treatment meted out to them by the government and bureaucrats, were comforted by Gandhi’s patient hearing. His hour-long session was all about engaging the students in a conversation instead of making a speech. After every few minutes, he empathised with the audience, agreed with their viewpoint and pledged support. In an interactive session, he frequently asked the students about their experiences—he asked a student what he had learnt in his four years at FTII. “The diverse thoughts and the different flavours of life since we have students from different parts and sections of society,” said the final year student. Attacking the government and calling it a bully, he asked an engrossed audience if anyone had ever faced bullying in school. “That’s the nature of a bully, as long as you’re quiet, they’ll push you around but the moment you raise your voice, they’ll be scared of you,” he said to an attentive crowd. When the students told him that they were planning a protest outside Parliament on August 3, he inquired about how they would travel. “Sleeper class, train,” said a FSA member. Gandhi then wanted to know if they had reservations. 

Attacking the government’s functioning, Gandhi said that the “government and RSS ideologues are systematically promoting mediocrity in education and no one has the ability to say no.” he told students that it wasn’t only the FTII that was facing this highhandedness. “It’s happening across the board, in various educational institutions,” he said. Blaming the authoritarian nature of the government, he said, “If the PM decides something, no one in the BJP, whether they agree or not, will say a thing.”

Addressing the students’ main concern — of the alleged threat of privatisation of FTII — Gandhi said that a government needs to play an important role in supporting education. “For them, the intuition is only the hall, the structure and the people they’ve appointed. But for you, it’s your flesh and blood. Be it FTII or IITs, an institution is all about the students, not the structure,” said Gandhi. He further established his support to the students saying that “my thinking and your thinking is that knowledge is important. But they think otherwise.”

Even as the Congress vice president cheerfully chatted with students and lent his “total support” to the cause, the BJP led protest marches against him outside the institute. BJP member and noted film actor Paresh Rawal commented that if “students are seeing a karyakarta in Chauhan, is Gandhi a noted film personality?” But for the students, who protests have fallen on deaf ears for almost two months, Gandhi was the support they were happy to get. 

From urging students to fight for what they believe in to accusing the government of being a bully, Rahul Gandhi engaged in a chat with students at the FTII. These are some of the highlights of his interaction: 

    #They are taking a mediocre man and putting him on top of students who don’t want to live a mediocre life.   

    # This is a democracy. If so many people don’t want Chauhan, he shouldn’t be there. Even if you were to say that he’s a good filmmaker but we don’t want him, there would still be a problem that needs to be looked into.   

   #The RSS and its ideologues are systematically promoting mediocrity and no one has the ability to say no.   

   #One man decides everything. If the PM decides, no one in the BJP, whether they agree or not, will say a thing.   

   #You should be allowed to make a choice. You must have some voice, 30 per cent or 40 per cent at least.   

   #This is not only about your school. You’re feeling it here but it’s happening across the board.   

   #This is the nature of a bully. If you raise your voice, they are scared of you. If you are quiet, they’ll push you around.   

   #This is only a minor fight. The real challenge is on pushing what your real idea of your country is.   

   #For the RSS, an institution is just about the walls and the structure and the people the appoint. For you, it is your flesh and blood.   

   #You are being called names like anti-national and anti-Hindu but you should not give up.