The SRFTI protest turned tense on Sunday evening as members of the Bangiyo Hindu Jagaran Manch reached the gates of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Kolkata and allegedly hurled bricks and bottles at students inside the campus. The protesters were also involved in a confrontation with police personnel while attempting to enter the institute.
The incident comes barely a week after violence broke out at the film institute following an event organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat, an RSS-linked organisation. The latest confrontation has renewed concerns over the safety of students and faculty members at the campus.
Why the SRFTI protest raised security concerns
Members of the Bangiyo Hindu Jagaran Manch marched towards the institute on Sunday, alleging that students had insulted Swami Vivekananda and Bharat Mata. Protesters shouted slogans against the institute and accused students of being “Naxalites”.
According to students, protesters attempted to breach the campus gates and subsequently threw bottles and bricks towards those inside. Students and teachers were seen trying to avoid the projectiles while raising slogans opposing the demonstrators’ entry.
One student alleged that photographs of Dr BR Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi displayed at the institute gates were removed and replaced with pictures of Bharat Mata. The allegation could not be independently verified from the information available.
Students had reportedly approached the Kolkata Police and the West Bengal government a day before the march, requesting that permission for the protest be withheld and that sufficient security be deployed around the institute.
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Students had warned authorities before the march
The latest SRFTI protest had been a source of concern for students even before the demonstrators arrived at the campus. Students from SRFTI Kolkata, the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune and FTII Itanagar had also written to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, raising concerns about security following the earlier campus violence.
In their communication, students pointed out that the proposed rally was scheduled to take place close to the institute’s main gate. They argued that holding a protest in the vicinity of the campus so soon after the earlier confrontation could heighten security risks.
The concerns came after the September campus clash, when students had objected to the ABGP event. The SRFTI students’ union alleged that members of the organisation assaulted students and teachers and described them as anti-national, urban Naxals and terrorists.
Following that incident, three FIRs were registered. Two cases were based on complaints involving unidentified students, while another was registered against unidentified persons following a complaint by SRFTI Dean (Film) Sukanta Majumder.
The cases include provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to wrongful restraint, assault on public servants, causing hurt and criminal intimidation. Allegations were also made that members of the visiting organisation restrained students and faculty members and threatened them.
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Probe into earlier clash remains underway
The latest SRFTI protest has added another layer to an already tense situation at the Kolkata institute. Police personnel were reportedly injured during Sunday’s confrontation as protesters attempted to move towards the campus.
The September violence had already prompted the state government to constitute a six-member Special Investigation Team to examine the circumstances surrounding the clash. The investigation is expected to look into the sequence of events and allegations made by both sides.
The repeated confrontations have also brought renewed attention to the security arrangements around educational institutions, particularly when political or ideological groups organise demonstrations nearby.
As authorities investigate the earlier violence, the fresh confrontation has intensified questions over whether adequate safeguards are being put in place to prevent further escalation at SRFTI.