Students at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute and Jadavpur University are staging widespread protests against administrative actions they claim are curbing their freedom of speech and expression. Amid growing safety concerns, graffiti bans at SRFTI and the scrapping of event committees at JU have intensified tensions between students, faculty, and university authorities, sparking national debates over campus democracy.

Students at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute and Jadavpur University are staging widespread protests against administrative actions they claim are curbing their freedom of speech and expression. Amid growing safety concerns, graffiti bans at SRFTI and the scrapping of event committees at JU have intensified tensions between students, faculty, and university authorities, sparking national debates over campus democracy.

Students at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute and Jadavpur University are staging widespread protests against administrative actions they claim are curbing their freedom of speech and expression. Amid growing safety concerns, graffiti bans at SRFTI and the scrapping of event committees at JU have intensified tensions between students, faculty, and university authorities, sparking national debates over campus democracy.

Two institutes, two stories, with a similar narrative. Students of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) and Jadavpur University (JU) are protesting against what they allege is the curbing of freedom of speech and expression by the authorities. SRFTI students have gone a step further, saying they feel unsafe following attacks on them by right-wing organisations on two consecutive Sundays.

On Tuesday, SRFTI authorities issued a notice banning wall graffiti, in words or pictures, stating that it was a directive from the local police. The notice said that painting or writing on walls “shall invite appropriate action as per the laws of the institute.” Some of the wall graffiti containing strong political comments made by students were whitewashed on Tuesday.

Some students, like Anamika Pal, say they feel unsafe venturing into all parts of the campus and believe the authorities have let them down by failing to focus on safeguarding the institute and protecting students’ interests. Pal says that, like right-wing activists, SRFTI students also have the right to express their views. “We know how unsafe we feel. Authorities blame us for the unrest that broke out on campus,” said Pal.

Higher authorities have yet to give students any concrete assurances, prompting many to boycott classes in protest. SRFTI is funded and supervised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, leaving students to question whether their safety is being taken into account.

Some faculty members were also caught in the chaos that broke out on September 27 between students and the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP), which had rented the auditorium for its event. A week later, on October 5, right-wing protesters gathered outside the institute’s gates, while students and faculty reportedly dodged bottles and bricks hurled at them inside the campus amid a heavy police presence.

At Jadavpur University, the clash between right-wing protesters and students supporting Left-wing ideology began on August 19. The ensuing protests and clashes left several properties on campus damaged. On Tuesday, All India Students Association (AISA) national president Neha Bora visited JU. Her speech drew a large crowd, prompting organisers to shift the event to another venue. A day after Bora’s visit, the Programme Approval and Monitoring Committee, which grants permission for events on campus, was scrapped. Students have described the move as an attempt to suppress their voices following the event and undermine their right to raise and pursue their legitimate demands.

“Jadavpur University has always been a democratic space where students have the right to speak, organise events and raise their voices against injustices. By taking such actions, the administration is making it clear how far it is willing to go to suppress the voices of the younger generation and undermine a democratic space where students raise their concerns—from opposing a corrupt examination system like NTA to protesting fee hikes and infrastructural issues, as well as voicing concerns about their future prospects,” said Soumili, a JU student and AISA activist.

Dr Manas Ghosh, an assistant professor in the Department of Film Studies, believes that scrapping the committee responsible for approving campus events, along with efforts to restrict divergent voices, amounts to curbing freedom of speech and expression. “If a university fails to contain the opinions that question the power, it becomes a better version of a prison,” Ghosh says.

The ABVP has rejected claims that freedom of speech and expression is being curbed, citing a March 2025 directive of the Calcutta High Court. The directive had asked the university to limit invitations to campus events to academicians in an effort to prevent unrest. “This is not violation of speech, this is violation of Calcutta High Court ordr,” said Subhajit Saha, an ABVP activist.

Vice-Chancellor Dr Chiranjib Bhattacharjee made it clear that wall graffiti would not be permitted on campus, arguing that it sends the wrong signal. With the monitoring committee for campus events scrapped, the responsibility now rests with Registrar Debjit Dutta.

The anguish of students in both SRFTI and JU depicts have raised debates on the freedom of speech and expression on campuses of public funded universities.