Kolkata: The Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata has come under criticism from its students after the students’ union alleged that Emmy-nominated filmmaker Ronny Sen was harassed by security personnel when he arrived at the institute to conduct a workshop. The administration, however, claimed that Sen had entered the campus without authorisation by scaling its boundary wall.
In a statement issued on Friday, the SRFTI Students’ Union said it had invited Sen to conduct a workshop titled “Cinema as a Weapon of Resistance” in collaboration with the Blue Banyan Collective.
The workshop was part of a series of sessions organised by the students’ union in response to what it described as attempts by the administration to curtail students’ right to education.
The union alleged that Sen was not allowed to interact with students despite being willing to conduct the workshop at any available location on campus.
Following this, students gathered outside the institute’s main gate and staged a sit-in on the road to begin the workshop. The administration, however, allegedly asked Sen to leave with the assistance of the police, the union said.
The students’ union claimed that this was the third instance of the administration preventing filmmakers from engaging with students. It alleged that filmmaker Ranjan Palit had also been stopped on two occasions when he attempted to conduct classes.
The union further alleged that the administration had shut down the campus, mess and basic facilities since October 15, affecting academic activities.
“We condemn these continuous acts by the SRFTI administration to aggressively stop filmmakers from entering a film institute,” the students’ union said.
Institute alleges unauthorised entry
In its response, SRFTI said the incident had been reported to the local police and that a formal complaint had been lodged seeking legal action over the alleged unauthorised entry.
The institute claimed that Sen had entered the premises by scaling the campus boundary wall. It said the incident raised concerns about the safety of students, faculty members and staff.
The administration said the incident took place amid a tense situation on campus, where regular academic activities remained suspended and the entry of outsiders had been restricted as a precautionary measure.
It reiterated that no external individual or organisation would be allowed inside the campus without prior authorisation. The institute also urged stakeholders to respect institutional protocols and cautioned against using the prevailing situation to advance external or political interests.
Police said they had received a complaint of trespassing at the campus and were looking into the matter.
Meanwhile, the students’ union claimed that police deployment outside the institute’s main gate had been increased and barricades had been placed to block the entrance.
Campus tensions since September
The institute has been witnessing tensions since September 27, when a clash broke out between a section of students and members of a right-wing organisation that had organised a meeting at the institute’s auditorium. Several people were injured in the incident.
(With inputs from media reports)