Why is SRFTI on the boil ? | Explained

The story so far: Violence erupted at the campus of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute on September 27 as outsiders clashed with students on campus. Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP), a right- wing consumer group, was holding an event at an auditorium located inside the campus. When the students learnt about the event, they started protests outside the auditorium. A group of students also entered the venue and raised slogans, tried to remove posters and banners from the event.

What followed was violence for several hours where both groups- students of SRFTI and members of ABGP blamed each other for violence. Some students and a few faculty members were injured in the violence. A huge contingent of Kolkata Police including senior police officer reached the venue and tried to control the situation.

What is Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat?

The Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat, whose members were involved in the clash with SRFTI students, is a wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The website of ABGP says that it is national level consumer organisation, committed to empowering grahaks, through awareness and action across India. The organisation was founded in 1975 by RSS functionary Bindu Madhav Joshi. The representatives of ABGP said that they had booked the auditorium on the payment of fee and will demand a refund from SRFTI authorities because their event was disrupted.

What is the grievance of the students?

The students of SRFTI have raised questions as to how an organisation that has nothing to do with cinema and filmmaking was allowed to hold an event inside the main auditorium of the campus. After the violence, the SRFTI student’s union is raising questions as to how outsiders can beat them up inside the campus. On September 28, the students held protests at the main gate of the SRFTI campus.

Several alumni of the institute, as well as filmmakers, have come in support of students. The alumni association, in a statement, sought justice for students along with administrative accountability and urged authorities to protect the institute’s creative and academic environment. On September 28, the authorities of the film institute Vice Chancellor Santosh Ajmera and registrar Deepak Kumar and sought safety and security of students.

What have the police done so far ?

The Kolkata police have registered three First Information Reports (FIRs) in connection with the violence at SRFTI at Panchasayar police station. While one FIR was registered based on a complaint filed by Sukanta Majumder, Dean-Film, SRFTI, the other was based on a complaint filed by Anjan Sinha, provincial head of the ABGP, West Bengal chapter. The third FIR was registered on a complaint by Koushick Bose, Additional Officer-in-Charge, Panchasayar police station.

Unknown persons wrongfully restrained students and two faculty members, voluntarily causing hurt, Prof. Majumder said in his complaint. The Additional Officer- in his complaint said that a group of unknown students wrongfully restrained him and other police personnel, used criminal force, and manhandled them with intent to deter them from discharging their duties as public servants.

Mr. Sinha’s complaint stated that a group of unknown students of the SRFTI Students Union gheraoed them inside a hall on the campus, wrongfully restrained them from proceeding, abused them with filthy language, and insulted the modesty of female members present with gestures. There has been no arrest so far.

 BJP leaders call SRFTI students Dimagi Naxal 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal leadership, including some Ministers of the West Bengal government, have blamed the students for the violence and have dubbed the students protesting against the event as Dimagi Naxal,a term used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech.

West Bengal BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar, shared a video of the students protesting in the SRFTI campus with a title Dimagi Naxal. “A program depicting Bharat Mata and Swami Vivekananda in Bengal is now a “communal” program. Now watch this. How these naxals are kicking, spitting and tearing down the picture of Swami Vivekananda,” the BJP spokesperson said. Several BJP leaders including West Bengal Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay had said that insult to hindutva icons will not be tolerated. “We will change this culture in educational institutions. No Bengali student can kick a picture of Vivekananda. This culture will not be tolerated,” the Minister said.

Parallels between SRFTI and JU violence

The violence at SRFTI, a central government-administered institute, comes less than six weeks after violence erupted at Jadavpur University (JU) in the same city. JU is a state-administered university, and on August 19 and August 20, a group of supporters of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)- the student wing of RSS barged into the university and tried to assault students. What followed the violence at Jadavpur University was a series of political statements and rallies by the BJP leadership, including Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari who promised to wean anti- national elements from the institute. Political observers are drawing parallels between SRFI and JU violence stating that the violence has turned out to be a left versus right political slugfest.