FWICE strike continues; IFTDA de-affiliates itself from FWICE

It has been 13 days since the FWICE strike call and the deadlock has taken another murky turn. Earlier, TellyChakkar.com had reported about FWICE reaching out to the politicans to give the strike call some momentum. Later in the week Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam and leaders of protesting body were detained by cops after they protested outside Amitabh Bachchan’s bungalow demanding his support in the agitation. They were later released and the yo-yoing continued. Trade and craft associations – which are affiliated to the apex union - have been saying that they are with it and then they are saying they are not. The latest to back off from the strike and FWICE as a whole is the Indian Film & Television Directors Association (IFTDA). What's causing the IFTDA to withdraw its association from the FWICE? According to Ashok Pandit of IFTDC, “IFTDA de-affiliated because the sanctity of the fedeation is no more in place. They have resorted to political help. Are the political parties the real face of the federation? they demonstrated outside Mr Bachchan's house! What are they trying to prove? We called for an emergency committee meeting yesterday and we decided to cut ourselves off from FWICE, the demands are fine, they are part and parcel of the game but earlier, no political parties were a part of the federation. We have our own identity, so we are no more a part of the FWICE now." IFTPC TV head, JD Majethia, told TellyChakkar, “Earlier CINTAA de-affiliated itself from FWICE and now IFTDA has de-affiliated itself from the apex body of trade and craft associations. This is just the beginning. On the same lines, a source close to TellyChakkar on conditions of anonymity revealed, "The FWICE crumbling has just begun. Many affiliates are going to de-affiliate themselves. All of them will move out of the federation. This is just the beginning and in the coming months many more de-affiliations are to happen." Meanwhile the shooting on the sets continue uninterrupted and the serials are still being aired without any hindrance. More details on the strike expected so stay tuned in.