Thiruvananthapuram: Film activist fighting FFSI's despotic ways

Thiruvananthapuram: Filmmaker P T Ramakrishnan, one of the senior-most film society activists of the state, is fighting a lone battle to put an end to what he terms the “autocratic and undemocratic” practices of the Kerala chapter of the Film Societies Federation of India (FFSI).

Mr Ramakrishnan had collected documentary evidence to show that the latest elections to the Regional Council were carried out in violation of FFSI rules and were rigged. But to his disbelief, the FFSI enquiry committee rejected his complaints without a proper probe.

The charges raised by Mr Ramakrishnan, the president of Sarga Film Society and the man instrumental in getting the FFSI to open its first office in Kerala in 1985, are manifold. One, paper film societies were formed to create support for the existing committee. Two, nominations of certain societies like Sarga were not considered. Three, proxy men were used to represent certain societies. Four, improper records.

Mr Ramakrishnan's complaints were accepted and a neutral two-member enquiry committee was formed. The first sitting of the Committee was almost Kafkaesque. The main defendant, critic V. K. Joseph, refused to turn up. "The members told me that it was only a cordial conversation and not a procedural enquiry," Mr Ramakrishnan said. He objected to this and said he was willing to wait for Joseph. But the members said they had to leave early. They even assured him that they were fully convinced of his complaint and that the report would be favourable to him.

But from Facebook posts, Mr Ramakrishnan came to know that the enquiry committee members were hosted by the accused the previous day. Finally, the FFSI president issued an order saying that the enquiry could not substantiate the charges. It was also stated that several documents were examined.

"But it does not contain details such as which of the documents were examined, and when they were examined," Mr Ramakrishnan said. He said there were no minutes for the enquiry proceedings either. Mr Ramakrishnan's efforts to get in touch with Central Council members too have been stymied.