SRFTI Kolkata alumni backs students, says police deployment escalated tensions; urges VC to hold talks

"There has to be two-way communication. The responsibility of the head of an institution is to address students' concerns and resolve issues within the institute," said Anirban Dutta, vice-president of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) Alumni Association, Kolkata, as he criticised the administration’s move to bring police onto the campus late on October 27, amid the ongoing student unrest.

Describing SRFTI Kolkata head as a “father figure”, Dutta said postgraduate students were adults who deserved to be heard and treated with respect. “There can be no high-handedness," he said.

Dutta questioned why Vice-Chancellor Santosh Ajmera had brought around 90 police personnel onto the campus citing concerns about security of himself and the staff. The students' torch procession was peaceful and they had taken precautions to prevent accidents. Teachers too had issued a strong statement opposing the police deployment, he added. 

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SRFTI Kolkata protest, CCTV, student privacy

Dutta traced the tension to an event in SRFTI auditorium where an organisation he described as RSS-linked was permitted to hold a programme. He alleged that students were assaulted and images of Swami Vivekananda in a confrontation to students’ objection to certain banners. He said the administration neither identified those responsible nor acted against them. 

Students had also proposed a human chain in protest but were asked to hold back on the assurance that the VC will talk to them. That dialogue never took place, Dutta said, adding that the police deployment escalated matters. He also questioned disciplinary action against students.

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"The administration must explain what it has done to ensure campus safety and hold those responsible for the earlier incident accountable. The students' concerns cannot simply be set aside," he said.

Referring to a 2024 agreement that reportedly specified where CCTV cameras could and could not be installed, Dutta, who was then heading the Direction and Screenplay Writing department, said students had accepted CCTV in designated areas, but wanted privacy respected, especially in residential areas. 

"The students were reasonable in their demands. They understood the security issues, but there was an agreement on where the cameras would be installed and where they would not be," he said.

SRFTI Kolkata: Call for normalcy

“SRFTI’s credentials are not the credentials of one individual,” Dutta said, adding that personal differences should not be allowed to undermine the institution's standing, which he said owed much to its students and alumni.

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While backing the students, he stressed that restoring academic activity was the immediate priority. He added that prolonged disruption of classes and delayed courses could affect SRFTI’s deemed-to-be-university status. 

"The VC must come to the negotiating table with an open mind. Students should be treated with understanding. Even if the administration believes that some students have made mistakes, there should be room for dialogue and forgiveness," Dutta said.