New Delhi: Students of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune has decided to call off their hunger strike after receiving a letter from the joint secretary Ministry of Information and Broadcasting today.
In the letter, the joint secretary has agreed to meet the students for talks to break the logjam over appointment of actor Gajendra Chauhan as the institute's chairman. The meeting will take place on Tuesday at the Films Division in Mumbai.
On Friday, agitating students had said that they would withdraw their hunger strike to pave way for a dialogue with the government if the I&B Ministry confirmed a date for talks to resolve their demands.
Students said the FTII students' Association (FSA) had always kept the channels of communication with the government open and expressed its willingness to have a dialogue to resolve the issues raised by them, including setting up of a transparent mechanism for appointments on the institute's governing body.
Meanwhile, the general strike by the students, who have been boycotting classes since June 12 entered its 109th day today as academic activity on the campus continued to be at a standstill.
