SRFTI students continue academic halt for ninth day, demand campus security

Kolkata: Police maintained a tight vigil outside the SRFTI here on Tuesday as students continued their "academic halt" for the ninth consecutive day, demanding security following disturbances triggered by a protest rally outside the campus on October 4.

The rally was staged by members of the Bangiya Hindu Jagaran Mancha following a September 27 clash between a section of students and members of the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP), an RSS-affiliated consumer awareness group that had hired the institute's auditorium for a programme.

Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) Students' Union general secretary Nachiket told PTI that the "halt in academic session" would continue until the students were assured of their security and "such attacks by RSS-aided outfits" did not recur.

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Students seek officials’ resignations

The students' union also reiterated its demand for the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santosh Ajmera and Registrar Deepak Kumar, alleging that they had failed to prevent attacks by RSS-linked outfits, intimidation of students and attempts to threaten the liberal and progressive space on the film and television institute's campus.

Neither Ajmera nor Kumar responded to calls or WhatsApp messages seeking their comments. "I was present on the campus on October 4, and bricks and bottles were being hurled by outsiders indiscriminately. We demand that the authorities and administration ensure our security on campus," a non-teaching SRFTI employee told PTI.

Security personnel and police maintained a close watch on people gathering near the main gate, which remained secured with barricades. Students put up graffiti on the road outside the gate stating 'Our campus is not RSS BJP shakha', and displayed pictures of B R Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi at the main entrance.

SRFTI maintains security amid protests

A police official at the spot said no untoward incident had been reported since Monday and that personnel were maintaining vigil in the area. The institute, in a statement shared by the registrar on October 5, said, "SRFTI remains deeply concerned about the incidents that occurred on Sunday (October 4) and reiterates its commitment to ensuring the safety, security and well-being of its students."

On the sequence of events on October 4, the institute said Monday that a group of people from outside the campus gathered near its main gate and "created disturbances, which disrupted the security environment of the institute." "A formal complaint regarding the incident has been filed with the authorities.

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The timely intervention of police helped disperse the gathering. The institute unequivocally condemns any act of violence, intimidation or attempt to unlawfully enter the campus. SRFTI is working in coordination with the local authorities and extending full cooperation to ensure that peace and order are maintained in and around the institute," it said on Monday.

SRFTI students have maintained their "academic halt" since September 28, resulting in the suspension of classes for the ninth consecutive day. They have been demanding the arrest of those responsible for the clash on the campus and adequate security for students. Violence had first broken out between students and members of the ABGP on September 27 during a programme by the consumer awareness group.