Kolkata, September 27 (Daily Kiran) : Tensions flared at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata on Sunday as members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) clashed with students, leaving several injured.
The incident occurred during a meeting organized by the ABVP in the auditorium, which had been approved by the authorities to begin at 10 AM. Shortly after the meeting commenced, a group of students voiced their objections to the presence of outsiders on campus. They staged a protest outside the auditorium, questioning why private organizations were allowed to hold meetings at the institute.
Following the students’ protests, ABVP members reportedly launched an attack, leading to a violent confrontation. Some professors who attempted to intervene were also injured in the chaos. Police arrived on the scene to restore order, but tensions remained high.
ABVP representatives claimed that their members were obstructed by students. They further alleged that their bus, which had transported them to the meeting, was also stopped from entering the campus.
Students expressed concern that instead of taking action against the assailants, police were recording the names and addresses of those filing complaints. They feared this information could be used to intimidate them later. The students demanded that the police register a First Information Report (FIR) against the attackers and protested near a police vehicle in support of their demands.
Filmmaker Indranil Roy Chowdhury, who teaches at SRFTI, described the incident as alarming. He stated, “The images I have seen suggest that students were brutally attacked. Regardless of the situation, such an assault on campus is unacceptable. If there were grievances, there should have been a proper way to address them.”
Meghraj Rao, a student at the institute, recounted the events, stating, “We had practical classes in the auditorium. Outsiders were invited for meetings, and some of us protested. We created posters and displayed them on the walls. Subsequently, members of that organization attacked us. We were slapped and punched mercilessly. We managed to escape towards the hostel.”
A professor present during the incident noted, “Students were being beaten. We stepped in to help, but some individuals turned on us as well.”
While the ABVP maintains that their meeting was authorized by the administration, the students insist they were unprovoked in their response to the attack. Reports indicate that multiple individuals sustained injuries during the altercation.
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