SRFTI students allege harassment, moral policing by institute

After the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), another film institute is on the boil. Trouble is brewing at Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata, an institute under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, where students have alleged harassment, casteism, and mismanagement by the institute's administration. Protests have been going on for over a week now.

The protesting students are now demanding better facilities for studies, accommodation and placements. In the past one week, 14 students were threatened with suspension for staging protests against the administration and walking out of their classes to ensure their demands are addressed. Trouble began after a few men allegedly stayed inside the women's hostel and vice versa, last week. This led the administration to take action against the students and segregate hostels for men and women. Students called this moral policing with "authoritarian and dictatorial" methods.

"A huge number of SRFTI students are aggrieved by the events that have unfolded in the past few months in this institute. Even after our persistent requests for a dialogue through letters from the students' representatives and several verbal requests from a multitude of students, no positive step has been taken. The authority has conveniently shied away from all responsibilities towards the students," said Sethu, a representative of the SRFTI students' association.

According to the students, the living conditions in the institute are very poor. They do not have potable water, the common washrooms are in a dismal condition, the mess is unhygienic and the furniture is inadequate and broken.

"In the given circumstances, the students are left with no choice but to display their dissent by walking out of classes and making it public, in the hopes of a positive conversation in this regard," he said.

They have also been demanding a roll back on imposition of high monetary fine for shortfall in attendance and delay in the submission of fee, setting up of a placement cell and a revised syllabus.

"The Director has refused to entertain any dialogue with us and is continuously threatening us with dire consequences if we continue raising questions. Police have been brought inside the campus to instill fear so that the protest ends. In the name of segregation, the administration is just ignoring our main problems and imposing their forced morality," said another student.

Institute Director Debamitra Mitra said she is open to dialogues, but the students didn't allow her to enter the administration building during the protests. Another attempt to resolve the impasse between the administration and the protesting students on Friday evening remained inconclusive.