The Television and Cine Foundation (TCF), Manipur, has condemned the alleged physical assault on National Award-winning filmmaker and Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) faculty member Dominic Sangma in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. Sangma, who heads the Screenwriting Department at the FTII’s Jote campus, was reportedly attacked by two men near the Jollang-Rakap road on Wednesday evening.
According to reports, the incident occurred after Sangma intervened when two men were allegedly harassing students in the area. He was returning from an evening walk at around 6.30 pm when the incident took place.
In a statement, the TCF expressed concern over the incident, particularly as the FTII campus at Jote is a relatively new institution in the Northeast. Until recently, India had only two national film schools and the foundation said it is incredibly lucky and proud that the Government of India decided to open the third one right here in the Northeast—the Film and Television Institute, Itanagar, in Arunachal Pradesh.
The TCF said the institute is only in its second year and incidents of violence could create difficulties for a young institution trying to establish itself in the region. Such incidents not only ruin the reputation of the institute but also reflect poorly on the entire region. What kind of message are we sending out to the rest of the country? the statement added.
The foundation also called for introspection within the filmmaking community of Northeast India and stressed the need to create a safe environment for students and professionals coming to the region from different parts of the country. If this is going to be our attitude, the day is not far when parents will completely stop sending their children to the Northeast, the TCF said.
TCF president and filmmaker Haobam Paban Kumar said he was deeply shocked after learning about the incident and immediately spoke to Sangma. “I was deeply shocked by the news and immediately spoke to him.
Thankfully, he is doing fine. Although he sustained multiple wounds from the assault, he was relieved that nothing happened to his students,” Paban Kumar said.
