Kolkata: Academic activities and shooting projects at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) remained suspended for the fifth consecutive day on Friday as students continued their boycott following violence on the campus on September 27.
Students are demanding stronger security arrangements and restrictions on the entry of outsiders who are not associated with the institute's academic or film-related activities.
“We are continuing with our boycott. Students have suspended both academic activities and shooting-related projects. We want adequate safety and security on campus and restrictions on the entry of outsiders who are not associated with film-related work,” a students' union spokesperson said.
The dispute began after the SRFTI students' union objected to the use of institute premises for an event organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP), a consumer-awareness organisation associated with the RSS.
Students questioned why an organisation they described as politically affiliated had been permitted to hold an event at a campus venue used for film screenings and academic activities.
The protest later escalated into a clash inside the institute's auditorium.
Students have alleged that members of the gathering assaulted them and that some students were called “anti-national”. They have also demanded restrictions on the use of campus facilities for outside political events.
The ABGP has disputed the students' account. The organisation alleged that protesters disrupted an event it said had been legally organised and accused students of damaging posters and an image of Bharat Mata and assaulting its members.
The competing allegations have not been established as facts.
The West Bengal government has constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the violence.
The clash reportedly left around 30 students and 2 faculty members injured. The precise circumstances leading to the confrontation and responsibility for the reported violence are subject to the investigation.
More than 90 people from the Bengali and wider Indian film industry have condemned the violence and expressed support for the students, according to the students' union.
Among those named in statements on the issue are filmmakers and artists including Varun Grover, Payal Kapadia, Dibakar Banerjee, Rima Das and Chaiti Ghoshal.
SRFTI Vice-Chancellor Santosh Ajmera issued a public statement on Thursday saying the situation on the campus was being managed under security arrangements.
Ajmera appealed to the students to end their protest and resume academic activities.
The students, however, continued their boycott on Friday, keeping classes and shooting projects suspended for a fifth day.
The SIT probe is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the September 27 confrontation, while the students' demands over campus security and access for outside organisations remain unresolved.