A clash broke out on Sunday between a section of students and members of the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP) during a programme organised by the consumer group at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata.
The programme, held at the institute’s auditorium, had been organised after ABGP obtained permission to use the venue, according to the organisation’s state leaders. The event began around 10 am.
The clash broke out after some students objected to the presence of people from outside the institute and questioned how a private organisation had been allowed to hold a programme on the campus. Students put up posters near the auditorium in protest, leading to a heated exchange with members of the organising group.
The students’ association alleged that speakers at the event delivered provocative speeches and that members of the organisation used terms including “anti-national”, “urban Naxals” and “terrorists” against students. It also alleged that female students were manhandled during the confrontation.
Students further alleged that some ABGP members assaulted them with knives, claiming that four students suffered serious injuries and several others were hurt. A student told a news channel that the confrontation began after students protested against the programme and put up posters near the venue.
An institute teacher also alleged that he and some colleagues were assaulted when they intervened.
The students later locked the institute’s main gate and staged a sit-in, demanding action against those they accused of attacking them. They also alleged that several students remained inside the campus, surrounded by outsiders and that some did not receive adequate medical assistance or security.
The ABGP rejected the allegations and accused the students of disrupting its programme and tearing down posters and banners, including images of Bharat Mata and Swami Vivekananda.
“We had paid Rs 15,000 to hire the auditorium and had obtained permission from the authorities,” an ABGP member told reporters, adding that four members of the organisation had been admitted to hospital after the confrontation.
ABGP state president Pankaj Roy described the programme as an event focused on consumer rights with a “nationalist vision”. He alleged that students objected to a picture of Bharat Mata at the venue and harassed people attending the programme, including women.
The organisation also alleged that a picture of Swami Vivekananda was damaged during the melee and claimed that some students and security personnel prevented its members from leaving the campus. It further alleged that its bus was held inside the institute.
A large police contingent was deployed outside the campus as tensions continued. An SRFTI official said the authorities were closely monitoring the situation and that it was under control. The official also said there was no report of any serious injury.
The organisers’ bus and an ambulance were later escorted out of the campus amid the police presence. Students alleged that stones and bricks were thrown at them from outside the gate after the bus left, forcing some of them to take cover.
The students also accused the police of recording the names and addresses of complainants instead of immediately registering cases against those accused of assault. They demanded that FIRs be lodged and staged a protest around a police vehicle.
The ABGP, meanwhile, maintained that its members were being prevented from leaving and accused the students of creating a hostile environment on the campus.
The main gate remained closed as the students continued their sit-in, while police maintained a substantial presence around the institute.
Named after filmmaker Satyajit Ray, the SRFTI was established in 1995 by the Government of India and is a national institute for film and television education.
The incident comes weeks after a clash between members of the ABVP and Left-wing student organisations at Jadavpur University. The August 20 confrontation at JU also saw rival groups accuse each other of bringing outsiders onto the campus and assaulting members of the opposing side.
