SRFTI students’ union writes to VC on cop presence, intimidation

The clash at SRFTI Kolkata: SRFTI Students’ Union on Thursday issued a letter to VC Santosh Ajmera condemning the unauthorised entry of police, the arbitrary barring of invited guest film-makers while allowing delivery personnel on Oct 27, and ongoing student intimidation. The students’ union has given a 48-hour deadline to withdraw internal police personnel, furnish all police requisitions, justify the entry restrictions, provide written assurances against disciplinary action against peaceful assembly, and preserve all relevant CCTV footage, registers, and communications.

Failure to comply will result in legal action, the letter stated. Additionally, all rusticated students have individually sent legal notices to SRFTI authorities demanding immediate and unconditional withdrawal of rustication orders. Despite repeated requests by both faculty and students to remove cops from campus, the administration said the decision rests with the police department.

Ajmera said, “Our faculty is engaging in dialogue with students and helping restore normalcy on campus.” On Thursday, the administration also decided against sending any representation from the institute to International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. “The SRFTI faculty suggested deferring SRFTI’s representation at external forums.

Instead, SRFTI will take its students and faculties from FTII, Itanagar, to IFFI. Further, 40 students and three faculty members from FTII, Itanagar, will be joining Dharamshala International Film festival,” Ajmera said. The students’ union also condemned campus surveillance, highlighting two incidents — a security guard caught covertly recording students, and police deployed for Ajmera’s protection who continue photographing students after his office hours are over.

SRFTI registrar Deepak Kumar said, “Despite orders to vacate the campus, students are still residing inside. Security has been asked to keep video and photo records of movement in public areas to avoid further damage to the institution as the institute could not install CCTV cameras due to students’ obstruction.” He added that cops have been deployed to ensure safety of everyone since there are “instances of physical abuse, vandalism in the VC’s office and an uninformed ‘Mashal March’ on Oct 27”.

On Thursday, the administration rubbished students’ allegation about a “fresh deployment of cops” on campus. “We are highly sensitive about the police presence on campus. The police department will review the situation periodically and take necessary action,” Kumar added.