Kolkata, Nov 2 Students of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) on Monday alleged administrative irregularities in disciplinary actions, claiming that 14 students have been served show-cause notices.
The authorities said the action was taken against the students after receiving a Fact Finding Committee’s reports regarding “provocative and objectionable” graffiti on the institute’s walls.
The students’ agitation at the central government-run film school follows a series of incidents that began with a confrontation on the campus during an event organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP), an RSS-affiliated consumer awareness group, on September 27.
Academic activities at the SRFTI have been suspended since then, and students were asked to vacate the premises.
Registrar Deepak Kumar told PTI that 14 show-cause notices have been issued to agitating students so far in light of the Fact Finding Committee’s reports regarding “provocative and objectionable writings on the institute’s outer wall near the main gate on the night of October 23 and at the gate of the administrative building three days later.”
Such writings had the potential to disturb peace and order at the SRFTI, he said adding that the notices sought explanations from the individuals concerned.
Questioning the procedure followed by the administration, the protesting students claimed that one of the students who had left the campus on October 3 and had not returned since was served a notice on October 29. The notice was signed by Chief Accounts Officer Mahasweta Banerjee.
Kumar said, “The issuance and signing of show-cause notices by the CAO is part of the institute’s established administrative practice.”
One of the students was show-caused in the last week of October on charges of defacing the institute’s property and writing a provocative message on the exterior wall, he said, adding that others had been served notices beforehand on similar grounds.
According to the notice, a committee constituted to examine incidents of defacement on the institute premises reviewed CCTV footage and other visual evidence before identifying the student as one of those allegedly directly involved in the incident.
The committee described the inscriptions as “unparliamentary and provocative”, claiming that they were likely to hurt public sentiments, lead to a breach of peace and disturb tranquillity in the area.
That student was asked to explain why disciplinary action should not be initiated against him for the alleged misconduct.
The students, however, questioned the authority of the Chief Accounts Officer to issue show-cause notices, asking what role the Accounts Department had in initiating disciplinary action against students.
They maintained that such notices should be issued by the institute’s Administrative Office.
In a statement, the students alleged that the repeated issuance of notices without verifying basic facts reflected a disturbing pattern in the administration’s handling of the ongoing crisis and could be an attempt to discredit and defame those participating in the agitation.
“The safety, security, academic future and careers of students are all at stake. If this is what the administration calls normalcy, we categorically reject such normalcy,” the statement said.
After the September 27 clash, tension escalated when the Bangiya Hindu Jagaran Mancha held a protest outside the main gate on October 4. Agitators scuffled with the police and allegedly hurled stones, bricks and bottles toward the campus.
Students began an indefinite sit-in outside the office of Vice-Chancellor Santosh Ajmera on October 12, demanding accountability, proper security, and action against alleged attackers from outside.
On October 16, the SRFTI administration suspended regular academic activities and asked the students to vacate the campus and hostels. Protesting students, however, refused to leave and continued their sit-in.
Besides serving show-cause notices to 14 students, the authorities rusticated six others.
(PTI News)
