The SRFTI protest in Kolkata has entered its 25th day, with students alleging that the institute administration has restricted access to the mess, gym, music room and a film-screening facility to pressure them to end their indefinite sit-in. The students have also raised concerns over campus safety, accommodation and accountability following a series of violent incidents.
In a message issued on the occasion of Bijoya Dashami, the protesting students said the institute mess had remained closed since October 17. They alleged that access to the gym, music room and New CRT, where students watch films, had also been restricted by the administration. The students described the measures as collective punishment during the ongoing agitation.
The protest began after clashes on September 27 during an event organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat. Students said the incident raised concerns about security on the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute campus. They later sought written assurances on campus safety, action against those allegedly involved in the violence and an independent investigation.
Tensions escalated on October 4, when students alleged that stones, bricks and bottles were thrown towards the campus. Their demands subsequently expanded to include accountability, withdrawal of disciplinary notices issued to protesting students and the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santosh Ajmera.
The administration had suspended regular academic activities in the Film and Electronic and Digital Marketing department until November 13 through a notice issued on October 16. It also directed students to leave their hostels and vacate the premises within 24 hours. The students refused to leave and continued their sit-in and academic boycott.
An SRFTI official, however, alleged that some protesting students had overstayed in the hostel for years after their terms ended. The official accused them of preventing junior students from attending academic sessions since September 28 and described them as troublemakers. The institute said six students were suspended on October 15 on disciplinary grounds over allegations that included attacks on faculty members and campus security personnel, as well as obscene graffiti on campus walls.
Sudip Chakraborty, spokesperson for the SRFTI students’ union, denied the allegations and said the students would take legal action. He said around 150 students, many from outside West Bengal, lived on the campus and in nearby areas, and warned that any action by the authorities would inconvenience them.
Chakraborty also alleged that students participating in the sit-in had been prevented from using a nearby washroom in the academic building. He described the alleged restriction as a denial of basic rights. The students have said the agitation will continue until their concerns over safety, accountability and the administration’s handling of the situation are addressed.
