NCA student cries ‘victimization’

Show-cause notice has been issued to a National College of Arts student, Rana Usman Khan, which stated that in case he did not explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him, within the next 24 hours, he would be expelled from NCA. The allegations levied against Khan include threats to the principal, seeking help from the media to remove Shireen Pasha, head of the Film and TV Department, initiating a smear campaign against her on Facebook and using abusive language in Islampura Station where he was held. Usman, however, has denied the allegations and has told Pakistan Today that he has been facing regular mistreatment at the hands of Shireen Pasha, who he says has been failing him on purpose, and has been crossing boundaries of teacher-student relationship by becoming “overly personal” with him on several occasions in class.
“I used a nasal instrument for my nasal rhinitis which is a severe condition and she used to deride me saying you are using a Rs 10 torch,” he gives an example. “I could tolerate a lot of things but why is she getting personal with me?” Usman also says he was disqualified from the college in his the first year on a public notification but got reinstated illegally (without a public notification). The same occurrence took place in the second year when he was again failed but was later reinstated. Rana says he has remained in the college illegally from 11th May, 2010 to 29th March, 2011. Every time he has requested the issuance of two separate revised notifications which were issued in back dates, the college only handed him these instead of publicizing them.
“This issue has caused me several disputes, misunderstandings, and allegations and people have thought me to be a ‘resourceful’ person, who pulled strings to change my failing grades to passes,” he said.
Pasha is a Lahore-based filmmaker who began working with Pakistan Television as a documentary producer in 1975 and produced some memorable films such as the award-winning “Cholistan” (1980) and “Life in the Walled City of Lahore” (1991). She left the organization in 1991 to work independently from her own studio. She is widely acclaimed for her sensitive and creative approach to social issues in her documentaries and dramas, often based on painstaking research. Pasha was not available for comment.
In an emotional letter to the administration, Usman explained that he in fact denied all allegations that the administration had held against him. He said there were factual errors in the allegations, while the dates were also incorrect. TOO OLD TO LEAD? An ex student of NCA, however, said that Pasha should now be replaced by someone more professional and dynamic as head of the department.
“When I was studying in NCA, we had similar problems, and she often vented her anger on students. There was also a question of us being failed and it happened to me. When I investigated the matter the administration told me it was a ‘human error’, and I was reinstated,” said the student. He said “our issues with the Film and TV department have always been that the faculty is extremely undereducated and inexperienced. Besides one or two teachers the others are useless and do not have anything new to give to students.
For reasons of personal politics, several excellent teachers have left NCA. All in all, Pasha is a very insecure lady when it comes to professional rivalry.” Another student also preferring to remain anonymous said “I too have seen and heard other students becoming victims of her prejudices. She was meant to retire a long time ago but has maintained her position through unknown ways. She is now above age and personally, she lacks the openness of mind and attitude to manage a department of such a sensitive art,” said the student. Meanwhile, Usman says that he has no reason for being expelled and if this happens he will make a court case out of this issue. “She has always singled me out because I used to ask questions and be outspoken and she didn’t like that,” he says.