POLICE ENTER SRFTI AFTER STUDENTS’ TORCH MARCH: SECURITY FEARS, CAMPUS SHUTDOWN AND A DEEPENING CONFRONTATION

October 28, 2026

KOLKATA, OCTOBER 28, 2026 — A fresh confrontation has intensified the crisis at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata, after police entered the campus late Tuesday night following a student torch march demanding stronger security. The incident has deepened the dispute between the institute administration and the students’ union, with competing accounts emerging over the nature of the demonstration, the timing of the police deployment and the safety of students living on campus.

The protest followed confrontations involving an organisation linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on September 27 and October 4. Students have since demanded stronger safeguards against outside interference and greater accountability from the institute administration. Classes have remained suspended since September 28, leaving academic activities disrupted amid continuing uncertainty over when normal functioning will resume.

According to SRFTI authorities, nearly 50 students took part in Tuesday’s torch march without prior notice or permission. The administration alleged that the demonstrators moved through several parts of the campus, including residential areas near the guest house where the vice-chancellor resides. An institute official claimed that the students carried torches and shouted intimidating slogans, creating an atmosphere of fear and anxiety for nearly an hour.

The administration rejected the characterisation of the march as a peaceful demonstration, arguing that students could not take the law into their own hands or disrupt the functioning of the institution. The authorities’ account placed the focus on the manner in which the protest was conducted and its alleged impact on residents and the campus administration.

The students’ union, however, offered a sharply different version. It alleged that the march had concluded peacefully at approximately 6.30 pm, both within the campus and around the main gate. The union questioned why police personnel entered the premises several hours later, reportedly around 11.30 pm, and moved towards the guest house.

According to the union, between 10 and 15 police personnel entered the campus. It also alleged that most of those deployed were not wearing identification badges, raising questions about transparency and accountability. These claims have not been independently established, and the competing accounts of the march and subsequent police action remain central to the dispute.

Four student representatives reportedly approached the vice-chancellor to seek a meeting and a written explanation for the deployment. The union alleged that he refused to engage with them. It also disputed the administration’s claim that the march had intimidated the vice-chancellor, maintaining that students had kept the area around the guest house clear. The union offered to provide photographs and videos to support its account.

The latest incident comes after weeks of tension following confrontations between students and members of the RSS-linked Bangiyo Hindu Jagaran Manch. On October 4, members of the organisation marched towards the institute’s main gate. Bottles and bricks were allegedly hurled during the confrontation, further heightening concerns about the security of students and staff.

The earlier clashes had already disrupted campus life and prompted students to question whether the authorities were doing enough to prevent outside groups from entering or approaching the institute. The students’ demands for improved security have since become intertwined with broader questions about the administration’s response, the right to protest and the responsibilities of the police in maintaining order without aggravating tensions.

Students have been staging an indefinite sit-in outside the vice-chancellor’s office since October 12. The conflict also escalated when the administration asked students to vacate their hostels on October 16, a request they refused. The resulting standoff has left the institute facing simultaneous challenges involving academic continuity, residential arrangements, institutional authority and student confidence in campus security.

The police presence on Wednesday morning indicated that the immediate confrontation had not fully subsided. However, the precise justification for the late-night deployment, the extent of police involvement and the status of any formal complaints arising from the episode require clarification from the relevant authorities.

The dispute at SRFTI reflects a difficult institutional balance. Administrators have a responsibility to protect residents, preserve order and ensure that protests do not threaten the safety or functioning of the campus. Students, meanwhile, have legitimate interests in raising security concerns, seeking explanations for official actions and demanding that the institute respond to earlier incidents of alleged intimidation or violence.

A transparent investigation into the events of Tuesday night could help establish whether the march breached campus rules, whether the police deployment was necessary and properly authorised, and whether officers followed appropriate identification and accountability procedures. Clear communication between the administration and the students’ union would also be essential to prevent competing allegations from further entrenching the standoff.

The prolonged suspension of classes adds urgency to the situation. Continued disruption threatens students’ academic schedules and the institute’s ability to fulfil its educational responsibilities. Restoring normal operations, however, will require more than simply ending the demonstration: students must have confidence that their safety concerns are being addressed, while the administration must be able to maintain order through clear and consistently applied procedures.

The immediate challenge is therefore twofold: to establish the facts surrounding the torch march and police entry, and to create conditions in which teaching, residential life and campus activities can resume safely. Until the administration and students resolve their differences through transparent engagement, SRFTI’s security dispute will continue to cast a shadow over one of Kolkata’s principal institutions for film and television education