The SRFTI student protest in Kolkata has intensified after students sought the intervention of institute president Suresh Gopi and chancellor Ashwini Vaishnaw over alleged repeated attacks, inadequate safety arrangements and a communication breakdown with the administration.
Students at the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute have been boycotting theoretical classes since September 28, a day after several students were allegedly assaulted by supporters of the RSS-linked Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat. Students have also alleged that members of the Hindu Jagran Manch attacked them again on October 4.
Blossom Hazarika, vice-president of the SRFTI students’ union, said at a news conference outside the campus that communication with vice-chancellor Santosh Ajmera had failed. The students said they had emailed the institute’s president and the Union ministry of information and broadcasting and tagged them in social media posts, but had received no acknowledgement.
Vaishnaw is the Union minister of information and broadcasting, while Gopi is the Union minister of petroleum and natural gas. The students are seeking their intervention on campus safety and security as the dispute over the alleged attacks continues.
Ajmera told The Telegraph that he was in a meeting and would revert later. He said he would be willing to meet student representatives but had not received a formal request from them. According to the vice-chancellor, two or three representatives could write a formal letter seeking a meeting.
The standoff has further escalated after several students were served show-cause notices for allegedly assaulting a security officer who had asked them to leave the vice-chancellor’s office. A section of students has been occupying the office, demanding accountability over the alleged attacks and assurances regarding their safety.
The administration has called for classes to resume and indicated that disciplinary action could follow. Students, however, have alleged that their concerns were being set aside in favour of a hurried return to academic activities. Hazarika said students had been pressured to resume classes even though no meeting had taken place on their safety concerns.
The students have also raised concerns over the withdrawal of a shuttle service for those living off campus. They said the service was approved after the violence but later discontinued after the vice-chancellor reportedly said the situation had returned to normal.
Accommodation is another point of contention. Students have sought temporary use of the institute’s guest house and staff quarters, while also demanding a permanent hostel solution. They have additionally raised concerns about medical expenses for injured students. Student Anamika alleged that the vice-chancellor warned injured students that the institute would not bear treatment costs if they travelled outside Bengal for medical care.
A scheduled meeting between student union representatives and the vice-chancellor on Thursday did not take place. In a statement issued on Friday, the students’ union said students had unanimously decided to move towards an indefinite academic halt unless their demands were addressed.
The immediate dispute now involves the resumption of classes, the show-cause notices and the students’ demands for safety, accommodation and medical support. The administration’s next formal engagement with student representatives will determine whether the academic deadlock can be resolved.
