SRFTI students’ academic halt enters 15th day over alleged attacks, security concerns

SFRTI students continued their 'academic halt' for the 15th consecutive day on Monday, protesting alleged attacks by right-wing activists on September 27 and October 4. A spokesperson for the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) students' union told PTI that they would continue to abstain from academic activities over alleged attempts by RSS-linked outfits to enter the campus and rallies by outsiders up to the main gate, which they claimed threatened their security. The students began boycotting classes on September 27 after tensions escalated over a programme organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP), a consumer awareness group affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), at an auditorium on the institute's campus. Opposition to the programme led to a clash in which several people, including two faculty members, were injured.

The situation deteriorated again on October 4, when the Bangiya Hindu Jagaran Manch organised a protest outside the institute's main gate against the September 27 incident. Students alleged that protesters assaulted them while they were on their way to the campus and hurled stones and bottles. The students' union has maintained that the boycott would continue until the institute gave assurances regarding student safety and took up the matter with the police and local administration.

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Union spokesperson Sudip Chakraborty said students were dissatisfied with the administration's response to their concerns. He alleged that the authorities had failed to take adequate steps to address the security issues raised by them. According to Chakraborty, students had earlier staged a sit-in outside the vice-chancellor's office after the October 4 incident, seeking improved security arrangements. He further alleged that some institute staff members and security personnel had intimidated and harassed students participating in the protest. Chakraborty also said around 150 students from outside West Bengal felt threatened amid the continuing tensions on campus.

The students' union is expected to convene a general body meeting soon to discuss the situation and decide its future course of action. SRFTI Vice-Chancellor Santosh Ajmera could not be reached for comment. A senior institute official, however, said that with the onset of Durga Puja, most students had already left the hostels. In a statement issued on October 5, SRFTI said it was "deeply concerned" about the incidents and reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of students.