Film institute students end stir; more tender resignation

While students of the K R Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts (KRNNIVSA) at Kottayam ended their 50-day-long stir on Monday, some top officials of the institute were also learnt to have tendered their resignation in support of Shankar Mohan, who resigned from the director post recently.

The institute students' council leaders held talks with Higher Education Minister R Bindu and said the minister had promised to address their grievances and appoint a new director. As a result, the stir was withdrawn.

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However, the students would not cooperate with the institute chairman, noted filmmaker, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, as he did not address the grievances and made insulting remarks, Sreedev Suprakash, students' council chairman, said.

Later in the day, it was learned that some institute officials close to the former director had resigned.

The students had been protesting since December 5, demanding the removal of Mohan and accusing him of showing caste discrimination towards students and a section of staff. Mohan tendered his resignation on Saturday.

The CPM government came under severe criticism for the delay in settling the stir, and for some CPM senior leaders backing Gopalakrishnan.