After farmers, it’s FTII for Rahul Gandhi

PUNE: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday used the FTII premises to launch a scathing attack on the BJP government and the RSS, saying that those with ideologies different from that of the RSS were being dubbed as "anti-national".
On the 50th day of the strike, Rahul assured the students of his support and said he would raise the FTII issue in Parliament. "The RSS and its ideology are systematically promoting mediocrity across all boards. There is no ability to say no in that system. In Parliament, we discuss issues with our party members, while in their party, only one man decides everything," Rahul said, while interacting with students in the main theatre of the film institute.
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Accompanied by actor-politicians Raj Babbar, Chiranjeevi, Khushboo and Ramya, Rahul spent around an hour and a half with the students, faculty members and staff of the institute."Students are asking for a small thing -- to hold a discussion and let their voices be heard. It is not going to make the government any smaller if they listen to the students," he said, adding that he will help the students in whichever way he could.
The FTII students have been on strike since June 12. A 10-member delegation had met I&B minister Arun Jaitley on July 3 but the interaction "failed" as the ministry refused to roll back Chauhan's appointment as chairperson of the FTII society and dissolve the society.
Rahul said the FTII students were "under pressure" and some were fearing physical attacks. "A girl told me that she fears that someone might hit her while going outside from here (campus). The government is exerting pressure, especially on the youth of this country which is just studying," he said.
"It is not just this school. This is happening everywhere. They call you anti-national to shut you up. They are scared if you speak and the moment you are quiet, they push you over. This is the nature of a bully," he said. On the issue of privatization, he told a student, "I do not support it. If they try to privatize the institute, I will sit here with you."
"The government is trying to force mediocre people onto the lives of people who do not want to be mediocre and you are taking that as an insult. If 250 students say we do not want these people, they should not be there," Rahul said. He added the same is going on systematically in the educational system, in the bureaucratic system, in the judicial system.
The Congress VP attacked L K Advani and Jaitley, saying they also "watch a lot of films". Rahul said the RSS does not understand that an institution's greatest power is its students. "The government should know filmmakers provide as much service to the country as software engineers," he added.
Rahul told the students that this was just a "minor fight". "The real fight is spending your life to pushing what the real idea of your country is," he added.
Students welcome support
"Our discussion with Rahul Gandhi was fruitful and exciting. He heard our opinions. His gesture of visiting the institute is a beginning of his pursuit of the issue," said Vikas Urs, a representative of the FTII students' association.
Asked if their strike had turned political with Rahul's visit, Urs said, "We have very limited understanding of politics in this country. As student filmmakers and image-makers, we all deal with politics.
We will welcome whoever comes here to support us without bringing in their political agenda and paraphernalia."
Students showed Gandhi two of their films along with a clipping of a 1964-film made by the Films Division where the first I&B minister, Indira Gandhi, had visited the institute for the convocation ceremony of the institute's first batch. "Indira Gandhi had spoken about the vision of the institute and had stressed on pluralism and freedom of expression. FTII stands for that vision," a student, Rakesh Shukla, said.
Shukla said as many as 150 FTIII students will take part in the protest rally from Jantar Mantar to Parliament in New Delhi on August 3.
BJPspeak
While Rahul was holding a meeting with the students on the FTII premises
BJP workers held an agitation outside asking the Congress VP to leave the premises. Police had to intervene and disperse the protesters.
In a press note, BJP MP Anil Shirole said, "FTII students have made the institute a political arena. Now (after Rahul's visit) it is clear who is behind the agitation. Instead of paying attention to a few students, national leader like Rahul Gandhi must pay attention to people's problem and allow Parliament to function."
BJP sources said the leadership will now openly come out against the FTII students. Meanwhile, in a tweet on Friday evening, I&B minister Arun Jaitley attacked Rahul. "Does Rahul Gandhi's statement at FTII, Pune, about "mediocrity on the top" also apply to the Congress party," he tweeted.