The crisis at Kolkata’s Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute intensified on Tuesday after Vice-Chancellor Santosh Ajmera accused external forces of driving a student agitation, while protesters continued demanding his resignation over incidents of violence and campus security concerns.
Students have been holding an indefinite sit-in outside the vice-chancellor’s office since October 12. Ajmera said the protest had disrupted academic activities for nearly a month and that its demands had changed several times, making it difficult for the administration to identify the students’ precise requirements.
In a statement, the vice-chancellor alleged that a section of students was politicising the agitation and attempting to turn it into a platform for wider political and ideological battles. “A few students, with the help of external forces, are driving the entire agenda, and halting classes even as many want academic activities to resume soon,” he said.
The administration has also accused students of harassing Ajmera and vandalising his room. Ajmera said some faculty members had informed him that protesting students were intimidating others and discouraging them from attending classes. These allegations form part of the administration’s account of the dispute and have not been independently established in the material available.
The confrontation follows two incidents on the campus. On September 27, students and members of the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat, an RSS-affiliated consumer awareness group, clashed during a programme. A second scuffle took place on October 4 during a protest organised by members of the Bangiya Hindu Jagaran Mancha. Some agitators allegedly attempted to break open the institute’s gate before being stopped by police.
The institute suspended regular academic activities in its film as well as electronic and digital marketing departments from October 16 to November 13. Students were asked to vacate the premises within 24 hours. The order was issued after the institute’s puja vacation, which continued until October 21, and has left the academic calendar uncertain as the protest continues.
Ajmera said the state government had constituted a Special Investigation Team to probe the incidents, while the institute had formed its own fact-finding committee to establish the sequence of events. He said the committee would examine the circumstances in which students entered the campus premises during an event for which the auditorium had been rented under the institute’s existing policy.
The vice-chancellor also said students had been advised to remain in their hostels on October 4 but went towards the institute gate, leading to further confrontations. Police are investigating the reported stone-pelting incident, and Ajmera said the police department was maintaining round-the-clock security outside the campus.
The administration’s position has drawn criticism from prominent figures in the film and arts community. Actor Naseeruddin Shah alleged that the BJP was targeting people who did not subscribe to its beliefs and policies, while filmmaker Anand Patwardhan alleged that the institute was facing pressure from groups outside the gates and from the administration within. Their comments were reported in support of the protesting students.
Ajmera said any student found responsible would face action by the institute, while decisions on arrests would rest with the police and the SIT. The immediate institutional questions remain the restoration of academic activities, the findings of the two inquiries and the security arrangements governing access to the campus. The suspension order is scheduled to remain in force until November 13.
