The name of Gajendra Chauhan has been making news these days. The man has been appointed as the chairman of the governing council of Film and Television Institute of India by the current BJP government. Yet the students have refused to accept the appointment, and the agitation have continued for a month now. Students have refused to accept the appointment citing that the person lacks the required qualification and that the government has made the appointment based on political connection.
As a person who is not at all qualified to speak about art and artiste in films and television, I cannot say whether Gajendra Chauhan is professionally qualified or not to head the institution. But the point whether he is professionally qualified to head the institution or not is an important question. The fact that he has connection with BJP/RSS is not a reason for qualification nor for disqualification. The position is not a political office; the position requires professional qualification. And therefore what is required is a professionally qualified person.
When it comes to political office, the required qualification is that he or she and his/her party get elected. One may be illiterate, but if she has won the election, the political office is for her. However, this does not work in other domain; and ought not to work. The present government has made many key appointments in academic institutions based on political connection, and not based on merit or professional qualification. Nobel laureaute Amartya Sen has also spoken out against such appointment few days back. Given this precedent, I have a suspect even when it comes to the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan. Appointing people in academic or professional position without the required qualification is another form of corruption. And to that end, this government has been corrupt in this regard.
For example, when a key position is to be filled in History or in a University, whether the person has left leaning or right leaning is not really the point. A person may have left or right or left-centre leaning. But what is important that the candidate should have published article/journal/book and experience in the relevant area. Without such qualification, if a person is appointed just because he is a member of a political party, this is to damage the institution. Appointing Smriti Irani, the politician who has not even earned undergraduate degree, as education minister is one thing; appointing a businessman as a vice-chancellor of a university is another thing.
Supporters of RSS/BJP has from time to time argue that 'he is a patriot/nationalist' to justify the appoitment. Yet patriotism of the kind defined by the saffron brigades is hardly a qualification to be in a professional position. Moreover, RSS/BJP's definition of patriotism is not the only definition of patriotism valid in the cultural or academic circle. One person says that to be in a position, one has to believe in India's glorious past. Well, India's past has both ups and downs. There were glorious deeds and there were shameful deeds. And any civilisation is like that. It is naive to believe that India's past is all good and beautiful. Such believers and proponents are doomed to despair if they would move out of their reading ghetto.
Saffron party is in the government, and therefore one cannot argue against filling academic or professional positions with their partymen or partywomen. Yet in all of this, it is fair to insist that the government appoint professionally trained and qualified people to professional post. Maintain the difference between political post and professional position.
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