Fasting FTII student hospitalised

Pune: One of the three FTII students on indefinite hunger strike since Thursday last has been hospitalised after his blood sugar levels dropped.

The students, protesting against appointment of actor Gajendra Chauhan as the FTII chairman have been on a hunger strike since Thursday.

According to a statement issued by the FTII Students' Association (FSA), Hilal Savad had to be rushed to a private hospital after the institute's medical officer examined him and found his blood sugar levels reduced.

After Hilal was hospitalised, another student-- Ankit Thapa--replaced him to continue the protest, the FSA added.

Meanwhile, the stalemate over the appointment of Chauhan whose credentials to head the institute, have been questioned by the agitating students, continued on the 94th day today with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry maintaining its silence on the turn the strike took on Thursday.

FTII Director Prashant Pathrabe said the ministry officials had been informed about the students' hunger strike.

He, however, added that "I have not been told anything" on the issue.

"We are waiting for a response form the Ministry which can pave way for resolution of the present crisis. But we have not received any response so far," said FSA President Harishankar Nachimuthu.

Earlier, Abhijit Das, a contractual faculty member at the FTII had gone on a fast demanding resolution of the current impasse over Chauhan's appointment. However, he ended it on September 8 after 66 hours of fasting due to health concerns.

Das, a faculty of art direction department, had started the fast on last Saturday demanding "immediate resolution" of the stalemate which has brought the academic activity to a halt since June.