PANJIM: Demanding that State government should ensure safety
of students, the former and current students of the Film and Television
Institute of India (FTII) on Monday said they were living in a traumatic state
fearing khaki brutality any time, anywhere during the ongoing International
Film Festival of India (IFFI).
“We are not here to disrupt the event. But for the past few
days, action against us has been very disturbing. We are living under
tremendous fear having no idea when and where we will have to face police
action,” Prateek Vats, former student of FTII told the media.
Vats said the fraternity was concerned about safety of FTII
students, who are here to attend the film festival as a part of their academic
curriculum and State government should have ensured safety to them. “As we are
launching the parallel festival of Students films from FTII on November 24 and
25, we are scared of police attack and if something goes wrong, who would be
held responsible,” he stated.
With films by FTII students not being screened at IFFI,
students of the institute have planned to hold a parallel film festival to
protest the decision. The Students’ Association Film and Television Institute
of India (SAFTII), the film festival ‘Retracing Freedom’ will be held.
Independent MLAs
Vijai Sardessai, Rohan Khaunte and Naresh Sawal along with artist Subodh
Kerkar, came in support of the FTII students, condemning the Government action
against them. “We are the host and it is the prime duty of the State to ensure
safety to each and every participant,” Khaunte said.
The MLAs said the voices of FTII students were for a
legitimate demand and in a democracy, everyone has a right to raise their
voice.
Two FTII students were arrested on Friday while they
displayed placards at the IFFI inaugural venue while another was detained on
Saturday for over 10 hours for wearing a T-shirt with the institute’s name at
the IFFI venue.
