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SRFTI students allege harassment of Emmy-nominated filmmaker; institute claims he trespassed
SRFTI students allege harassment of Emmy-nominated filmmaker; institute claims he trespassed
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Kolkata, The SRFTI Students' Union on Friday alleged that Emmy-nominated filmmaker Ronny Sen was harassed by security personnel of the institute, where he had been invited to conduct a workshop.
The Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute , however, claimed that Sen had entered the premises without authorisation by scaling the campus boundary wall.
In a statement, the students' union said Sen had been invited by them to host a workshop, titled "Cinema as a Weapon of Resistance", in collaboration with Blue Banyan Collective.
It said the session was part of a series of workshops initiated by the students' union in response to what they described as attempts by the administration to curtail their right to education.
They alleged that Sen was not allowed to interact with students, despite being willing to conduct the workshop at any available location.
Following this, students gathered outside the main gate and sat on the road to begin the workshop. However, Sen was allegedly asked to leave by the administration with the assistance of the police, they claimed.
The students' union alleged that this was the third instance of the administration preventing filmmakers from engaging with them.
Filmmaker Ranjan Palit had been stopped on two separate occasions when he attempted to conduct classes, it claimed.
The students' union also claimed that the institute administration had shut down the campus, mess and basic facilities since October 15, adversely 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.
In a statement, the institute said the incident was reported to the local police and a formal complaint lodged, seeking appropriate legal action over the alleged unauthorised entry and the threat it posed to the safety of students, faculty members and staff.
The institute said the incident came amid a tense situation on the campus, where regular academic activities remained suspended, and entry of outsiders was restricted as a precautionary measure.
It reiterated that no external individual or organisation would be allowed to enter the campus without prior authorisation, and appealed to all stakeholders to respect institutional protocols.
The administration also urged people not to use the prevailing situation to advance external or political interests.
Police said they received a complaint of trespassing at the campus and are looking into it.
The students, meanwhile, claimed that police deployment outside the institute's main gate has been increased, with barricades blocking the entrance.
The campus has been tense since September 27, when a clash between a section of the students and members of a right-wing organisation, which had organised a meeting at the institute's auditorium, left several people injured.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
