Jamia closed for students due to Covid but film shoot on, allege students
A student of Jamia Millia Islamia has alleged in his social media post that the university continues to be closed but film is being shot. Also, Arbab Ali shared several photos and video of the event with this comment on his timeline a few days ago.
“I went to Jamia today and to my horror a film was being shot there. The university has remained closed for students since March 2020, but actors and directors are allowed in. Our founders must be turning in their graves…
“Why aren’t student organisations active on the campus calling out the double-dealing of the administration that prohibits reopening of campus for students and cites Covid-19 as the reason but allows film shoots on campus premises…Our university campus isn’t meant for film shoots! It’s for education which is being made exclusionary by Jamia Administration! Enrolled students must raise their voices for the reopening of campus and not allow the commercialisation of campus!”
The post solicited several comments with one netizen writing: “It has been going on for months. Administration had covered gate 13 to hide it. Thanks for exposing it.”
Based on Ali’s post, a story was carried by a publication.
In 2019, several publications had carried a report about Jamia opening its doors for filmmakers. NDTV carried a PTI report headlined: “Jamia opens doors for filmmakers to tide over fund crunch.”
The report quoting Professor Majid Jamil, then secretary of Jamia Teachers’ Association, said the varsities have been asked to generate their own funds and efforts are underway to generate own fund resources. “For the last two years, the varsity has been facing issues in paying salaries of teachers. The varsity had to even break its fixed deposits to pay the salaries of teachers. Every university is facing these issues and most of the research and development activities are being hampered,” he added.
It is not known how much Jamia charges for shooting but the report quoting sources claimed that shooting in Jamia costs Rs 50,000.
