Students’ protests over caste bias, antagonism rock KRN movie college

Express News Service

KOTTAYAM: For the previous 5 years, Anandapadmanabhan, a former cinematography scholar on the Okay R Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts, at Thekkumthala, in Kottayam, has been preventing to finish his course necessities. For that, he must be a part of a diploma movie challenge. Anandan, nonetheless, was excluded from the staff by the institute’s authorities reportedly for main a strike to get college students e-grants from the federal government. His request for becoming a member of the challenge staff of his junior batch was additionally turned down. After a quick wait, Anandan has moved courtroom and his case is pending.

This just isn’t an remoted case so far as the distinguished movie institute, beneath the state authorities, is worried. Ever because the institute was established in 2014, a number of allegations have emerged towards authorities. Eight years after its opening, complaints over preliminary hiccups have morphed into main points, together with caste discrimination — shockingly in an establishment named after Okay R Narayanan, the primary Dalit President of India.

Students of two present batches have been on an indefinite strike for 11 days demanding the resignation of Shanker Mohan, director of the institute, for alleged caste discrimination and varied different costs. “Apart from students, a few housekeeping staff have also complained of caste discrimination on the part of director. A Dalit student was denied admission to the 2022-23 batch in the reservation category citing flimsy reasons,” mentioned Sreedev Suprakash, chairman of the scholars’ council.

Though these quick considerations provoked the indefinite strike, a raft of points has been prevailing since inception. “The institute has lost its vision and mission. It neither stands for the welfare of students nor to support the cinema industry. A few persons have hijacked the institute, which is said to be the third film institute in India after Pune and Kolkata,” mentioned Akhil Dev, who left the institute after becoming a member of the script writing and path course as the highest rankholder within the entrance examination of 2019.

Student protests should not new right here. “The institute is yet to become student-friendly even after eight years of existence. When I approached the court to complete my project work, the management raised as many as 10 false allegations against me. However, I have been able to counter all of them,” mentioned Anandan.
Students had launched one other strike in January this yr, when 4 compatriots have been expelled from the institute for allegedly protesting towards a call to shift lessons to a rented constructing. They have been reinstated following the protest.  

Shortly after, authorities restructured the PG diploma course by chopping down its length from three to 2 years, which additionally riled the scholars. Higher Education Minister R Bindu just lately constituted a three-member panel to review the difficulty. The panel is slated to go to the institute on Saturday. The institute’s director was not obtainable for remark regardless of a number of makes an attempt to contact him.

KOTTAYAM: For the previous 5 years, Anandapadmanabhan, a former cinematography scholar on the Okay R Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts, at Thekkumthala, in Kottayam, has been preventing to finish his course necessities. For that, he must be a part of a diploma movie challenge. Anandan, nonetheless, was excluded from the staff by the institute’s authorities reportedly for main a strike to get college students e-grants from the federal government. His request for becoming a member of the challenge staff of his junior batch was additionally turned down. After a quick wait, Anandan has moved courtroom and his case is pending.

This just isn’t an remoted case so far as the distinguished movie institute, beneath the state authorities, is worried. Ever because the institute was established in 2014, a number of allegations have emerged towards authorities. Eight years after its opening, complaints over preliminary hiccups have morphed into main points, together with caste discrimination — shockingly in an establishment named after Okay R Narayanan, the primary Dalit President of India.

Students of two present batches have been on an indefinite strike for 11 days demanding the resignation of Shanker Mohan, director of the institute, for alleged caste discrimination and varied different costs. “Apart from students, a few housekeeping staff have also complained of caste discrimination on the part of director. A Dalit student was denied admission to the 2022-23 batch in the reservation category citing flimsy reasons,” mentioned Sreedev Suprakash, chairman of the scholars’ council.

Though these quick considerations provoked the indefinite strike, a raft of points has been prevailing since inception. “The institute has lost its vision and mission. It neither stands for the welfare of students nor to support the cinema industry. A few persons have hijacked the institute, which is said to be the third film institute in India after Pune and Kolkata,” mentioned Akhil Dev, who left the institute after becoming a member of the script writing and path course as the highest rankholder within the entrance examination of 2019.

Student protests should not new right here. “The institute is yet to become student-friendly even after eight years of existence. When I approached the court to complete my project work, the management raised as many as 10 false allegations against me. However, I have been able to counter all of them,” mentioned Anandan.
Students had launched one other strike in January this yr, when 4 compatriots have been expelled from the institute for allegedly protesting towards a call to shift lessons to a rented constructing. They have been reinstated following the protest.  

Shortly after, authorities restructured the PG diploma course by chopping down its length from three to 2 years, which additionally riled the scholars. Higher Education Minister R Bindu just lately constituted a three-member panel to review the difficulty. The panel is slated to go to the institute on Saturday. The institute’s director was not obtainable for remark regardless of a number of makes an attempt to contact him.