Naseeruddin Shah Backs Protesting SRFTI Students; Institute Clarifies Reason For Disciplinary Action

After Naseeruddin Shah backed protesting students of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata, the institute issued a fresh statement. Reportedly, some students are on a sit-in over alleged campus violence and are demanding the resignation of the Vice Chancellor, Santosh Ajmera. According to the institute's new statement, it stands by the decision to rusticate six students for a year on the grounds of allegations of misconduct, including vandalism, defacement and physical assault. SRFTI, which operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, further noted that linking disciplinary action to the right to protest has misrepresented the circumstances.

On October 24, Naseeruddin Shah released a video on Instagram. He said, "The BJP... after its manipulative victory in the Bengal elections now seems all out for revenge on anyone who does not subscribe to their beliefs and their policies. The latest victims of this vendetta are the students, the aspiring filmmakers of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute. In return for their demand for accountability from the administration, they have been served show cause notices, put under surveillance, threatened, and now have even been asked to vacate the hostels."

The veteran actor then said in the video, "This BJP, not content with backing and encouraging shameless propaganda in its favour, is now hoping either to brainwash or frighten the future filmmakers of this country, and I can promise you that is not going to happen. These are the young people who in the future will tell us the truth about themselves and about our country and about the state we are in. I urge all right-minded citizens to support the demands of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute students."

An official notice read, "The institute and its faculty and staff have strongly condemned the attacks. While upholding the value of the democratic right of protest by students, Shri Ajmera called the incident intimidating and unacceptable. He said that the attack was cowardly, extremely disturbing and unfortunate. He said it was an act unbecoming of students belonging to an institute of repute like SRFTI and called for the strictest action against those found guilty. He also said that the actions of a few students have disturbed peace, order and normal academic activities at the institute. He added that these students are intimidating others not to join classes for the last eight days and some therefore had to leave the campus for their home. Shri Ajmera said that a few students following the wrong path have negatively impacted the institutional and cultural fabric of the educational institution through their misleading and damaging activities," the statement read.

Earlier, on October 4, the institute said that a group of persons from outside the campus gathered near the main gate of the Institute and created disturbances, which disrupted the security environment of the Institute. SRFTI said that a formal complaint regarding the incident has been filed with the concerned authorities.