Dear FTII,

As someone from a film background and now in politics, I must confess that it has been a
challenging journey for me personally. I understand and thus empathize with your pain
and how hard this time has been. I am often trolled and have been subjected to the ugly
face of online fascism by many a derogatory comment for speaking my mind freely. Thus
having heard what you have been going through in the last 61 days, I am in awe of your
tenacity and how you have held out.
During my recent visit to your campus, some of you mentioned how your parents are
mortally afraid for your lives and how you are unable to even step out of the campus,
because the ABVP is waiting to draw your blood.
I shudder to think what your families are going through and how helpless this resistance
must all seem, especially as its not easy to sustain resilience over such a long period.
We all live only one life and under no circumstance should we be forced to live in fear.
The beauty of life is to be able to experience freedom and thats the least we can expect to
be granted as citizens by the government.
It is the duty of the ruling party to at least hand you a fair hearing, understand your
deepest frustrations and fears and respect your fundamental rights to the freedom of
expression. The prime minister took time out to tweet/pose with the Bahubali team,
which is a nice gesture the same should have been extended to you.
Every Indian citizen is equal in the eyes of the Constitution, and must be entitled to
his/her right to express himself or herself sans reservation in a peaceful manner
especially since education is really the foundation stone for all future developments.
As Rahul Gandhi always says India is an idea. It is what we all make of India and what
we do together for this country is what will define us as Indians. We build the nation the
way we want to as a free country, where opinions and views can co-exist, where
creative excellence is celebrated and where difference of views is not seen as dangerous
to the political establishment, but seen as a positive sign of our inclusiveness.
Replacing Gajendra Chauhan, maybe the immediate agenda, and we will achieve this
sooner than later, but what afterwards? What about the larger and more imminent threat
that looms ahead that of the blatant saffronisation of education and culture? What about
banning free thought and creative freedom? Curtailing speech? Censoring the exuberance
of youth?
Isnt it amply clear that the RSS is brazenly flexing its muscles and interfering with the
workings of the Government? That the Prime Minister is turning a blind eye? Why this
apathy?
You have been labeled 'anti-national, 'anti-Hindu,' 'drug addicts and stereotyped and
brandished as anti-social elements. The police and some of the faculty are also known
to be implicating you in false cases. This is not what India stands for. This is murder of

democracy!
If all 250 of you dont want Chauhan, he should be removed. Actually he should have
resigned taking cognizance of the sharp voices of dissent that are still echoing in the
campus. This just goes to show that the Government would rather have you suffer than
replace Gajendra Chauhan, in what is clearly an indulgence of their collective egos.
While Chauhan seems adamant to linger on, what scares me as a creative person, and a
member of the artistic and political fraternities, is the arm-twisting tactics and the manner
in which violence is being tacitly propagated so as to foster discord.
India is the worlds largest democracy and yet its ironical that none of us have truly ever
experienced democracy in the absolute. Heres your chance, now! To strive for a country
where we can make equality and freedom a living example.All liberal upholders of
cinematic values, and I, as an artist and individual stand united with you in your fight to
ensure that your basic democratic rights are protected.
We must speak up, more so when they try to silence us.
Dont give up the fight!