If India is proud of Payal Kapadia, withdraw FTII case against her, Shashi Tharoor urges PM Modi
New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the cases against filmmaker Payal Kapadia, who won at the Cannes Film Festival last week, and other students of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) for staging a protest objecting the appointment of actor Gajendra Chauhan as FTII chairperson in 2015.
Kapadia became the first Indian director to win the Grand Prix, the second most prestigious award after the Palme d’Or at the Cannes, when she was awarded for her debut movie ‘All We Imagine As Light’ on Saturday.
Lauding her achievement, PM Modi posted on his personal ‘X’ account on Sunday, “India is proud of Payal Kapadia for her historic feat of winning the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her work ‘All We Imagine as Light’. An alumnus of FTII, her remarkable talent continues to shine on the global stage, giving a glimpse of the rich creativity in India. This prestigious accolade not only honours her exceptional skills but also inspires a new generation of Indian filmmakers. (sic)”
Tharoor, responding to the PM’s tweet, posted on his ‘X’ account on Tuesday, “Modi ji, if India is proud of her, should your government not immediately #WithdrawTheCases against her and fellow FTII students protesting against your government’s arbitrary appointment of an unqualified Chairman? (sic)”
Kapadia and other students of the FTII, which is under the administration of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, had protested in 2015 opposing the appointment of Hindi film actor and BJP member Chauhan, citing the actor’s lack of qualifications to lead the institute as their reason for objection, and had demanded that Chauhan be replaced with a better qualified chairperson. Pune Police had booked the protesting students for unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation and rioting. The FTII administrative board cut off the scholarships of the students and also debarred eight of the students, including Kapadia, from participating in a foreign exchange program that would help them participate in international film festivals.
Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookuty has also put forth the demand that the case against the young director be withdrawn, posting on his Instagram account, “FTII must now withdraw the cases against Payal and the other students. It owes them the prestige that has been bestowed upon it.”
He pointed in a second post on social media that Kapadia, who is accused number 25 in the 2015 case, had to appear in court for a hearing after returning from the film festival.
Modi ji, if India is proud of her, should your government not immediately #WithdrawTheCases against her and fellow FTII students protesting against your government’s arbitrary appointment of an unqualified Chairman? https://t.co/BmZNifLLj9 pic.twitter.com/psZMwSADnn
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 28, 2024
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Dhyan Chand lifetime award to be replaced by Arjuna lifetime
New Delhi, Oct 24: The sports ministry on Thursday announced the discontinuation of the Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement from this year onwards and the introduction of the Arjuna Award Lifetime in its place in a bid to "rationalise" the various sporting honours of the country.
Instituted in 2002, the Dhyan Chand Lifetime Award, named after hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand, is given to individuals in disciplines that are part of the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, among others.
In 2023, the award was given to former shuttler Manjusha Kanwar, ex-hockey exponent Vineet Kumar and kabaddi player Kavitha Selvaraj.
"The various schemes for sports awards have been rationalised wherein Arjuna Award (Lifetime) has been introduced in place of Dhyan Chand Award. To recognise the efforts of coaches at grassroots/development level, they are now eligible for the Dronacharya Award," said a ministry statement.
"The Arjuna Award (Lifetime) has been introduced and will be given for life time contribution to sports development.
"Further, to recognize the Khelo India scheme, the Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy will be given to the University for Overall Top Performance in Khelo India University Games," it added.
The last date for applying for the national sports awards for 2024 is November 14.
