Fasting FTII student in hospital

Pune: A third student of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), who was on a relay hunger strike, was taken to a hospital on Sunday after his sugar levels dropped, even as protests against appointment of actor and BJP member Gajendra Chauhan as institution's chairman continued.

Ankit Thapa was shifted to a private hospital today on the fourth day of relay hunger strike. He had replaced Hiral Savad who too was hospitalised on Friday and was discharged yesterday.

Another student, Shahi Aj of 2012 batch, replaced Thapa on the chain hunger strike, said Ranajit Nair, representative of FTII Students' Association (FSA) said.

Yesterday, Alok Arora, who was on a hunger strike, hospitalised after he felt unwell due to a drop in sugar level.

The hunger-strike entered the fourth-day today.

The agitating students now on more than three-month-old strike in support of their demands resorted to indefinite hunger strike on Thursday claiming that they had been left with no other option because of the "apathy" shown by the government to the issues raised by them including that of setting up a 'transparent mechanism" to select the FTII chairman.

They have also alleged that Chauhan lacks "credentials and vision" to head the premiere institute expected to give a direction to film making in country.

The Information and Broadcasting ministry who has taken a tough stance on the long drawn out strike by the students who have been boycotting classes since June 12, has so far cold-shouldered their demand to hold another round of talks with them after failure of the July 3 dialogue in Delhi to find a solution to the impasse.