ArpitGarg's Weblog

Normally if you see, student protests get huge public sympathy. The arrogant college administration is lambasted for harrowing poor students. But it somehow didn’t happen at FTII. It begs the question, Why? Why didn’t public sympathize with FTII students? I thought of a few reasons.

1. They didn’t look like students but politicians: I remember seeing few protesting students, in TV debates. They spoke like full blown politicians. They lacked the innocence that students have. Their political bytes, gave them a negative edge.

2. Their cause was political and not academic: Had they fought for better curriculum. Better hostel facilities. Better studios and equipment. Better grant. Public might have sympathized with them. But they didn’t. They wanted to oust who they called a political appointee. This gave their cause a political color and public decided to ignore them.

3. Letting opposition leaders inside campus: Students should not have let opposition leaders into their protest. Once they did, their struggle seemed motivated. It seemed like a protest by elderly students who wanted to join politics. Had they followed the Anna model which didn’t allow politicians to share stage during Lokpal struggle, the protest would have some success.

4. History of protests at FTII: This protest brought history of protests at FTII into limelight. Given such lengthy protests have been a norm; it took away the seriousness of the protest. It looked like a habit.

5. Old students lingering on for free hostel and food: When it came to knowledge that students as old as 2008 batch were residing at hostels and using college facilities, it sounded somewhat fishy. Public couldn’t imagine their own children lingering on at college for so long. Why didn’t they pass? Did they fail again and again? These were questions that came to public mind. Students also didn’t give any clear answer to this. It added to the opinion that students who don’t want to study are influencing young ones and not letting them study.

6. Who studies film making? This is a not so diplomatic reason, but is so true when we put our society into perspective. We want our children to study medical, engineering etc. Film institute is not something which public at large would want their ward to study at. When we hear students, we think academics. This was not the case. Here. Hence lack of sympathy.