September 27 is a date that the students of the Satyajit Ray Film And Television Institute (SRFTI) will never forget. The day when 30 student union members and two faculty were injured in clashes with RSS affiliate Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP).
Some received treatment at a nearby hospital. Police reached the campus to control the situation. There were three FIR’s filed—two against the SRFTI student union by the ABGP and another by police personnel who alleged unknown students vandalised a police vehicle of an officer on duty. The third FIR was by SRFTI Dean (Film) against unknown persons.
A six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the case visited the campus to collect samples, CCTV footage, and statements from students. No arrests have been made so far.
SRFTI students had protested against the ABGP’s presence at the auditorium and questioned the institute’s authorities on why the space was given out to the organisation—that too on a Sunday for a programme not related to film.
Students recounted the fear of being reportedly chased, some attacked with stones and sharp objects by ABGP workers, and hiding in the library amongst other parts of the premises. SRFTI students say ABGP workers’s attack to protests at the auditorium stunned students who were outnumbered. However, the students maintained that rumours of them tearing down Bharat Mata and Swami Vivekananda posters in the auditorium were false.
Vice-Chancellor Santosh Ajmer’s assured students of safety and security on campus, acknowledging the support extended by the President of the SRFTI Society, state and central government authorities, and cooperation of students, faculty, staff and the SRFTI community.
In August, Left Front students of Jadavpur University in Kolkata had protested against Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) ransacking property, defacing graffiti and burning party flags.
The ABVP had meanwhile protested against the Leftist stronghold and politics on campus. What followed was the BJP—including Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari—holding protest rallies in close proximity of the campus with 'Jai Shree Ram' slogans, amongst others. This led to the West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 passed in the West Bengal Assembly, stating that teaching staff in universities could be transferred within the state.
While these are two separate incidents, in both cases, students protested against the RSS ideology taking over freedom of speech and expression on campus.
Are SRFTI and Left Front students justified in their protests? Are ABVP and ABGP justified in their protests?
The point to mull over is: should political ideologies interfere in day-to-day functioning on campus? While this has happened for decades in West Bengal’s educational institutions, does it serve any constructive purpose for the larger good in the name of freedom of speech and expression? The real change should be brought about by educational excellence and shaping personalities to make a purposeful impact in society beyond the gates of educational institutions.
