Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 24 (ANI): Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has launched an all-out attack on the BJP led government in West Bengal over the reported strike at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Kolkata.
As per reports, some students at the institute are on a sit-in over alleged campus violence and are demanding the resignation of the Vice Chancellor Santosh Ajmera.
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Shah in a video posted on Instagram accused the BJP government of trying to extracting revenge on those who did not subscribe to their views.
“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,” he said
Shah also alleged that the government was trying to frighten future filmmakers and called for people to support the demands reportedly put forth by the students.
“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,” he said in the Instagram Video.
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Earlier, filmmaker Payal Kapadia who has directed ‘Let there be light’ also questioned the alleged violence on campus on September 27.
“I am absolutely horrified at the situation taking place at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Kolkata. On the 27th of September, goons who were affiliated with the RSS have entered the campus and brutally beat up the students and even groped some female students, and no action has been taken against these goons. Instead, students are facing rustication for questioning the administration as to how they allowed all this to happen in the first place. Since that day, no classes have taken place and recently, students have been served a notice to vacate the hostel and leave the campus. This is a very concerning matter as the safety of students is at stake. I stand in solidarity with the students and urge the administration to act against those who are instigating the violence and not against their own students,” she said
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In a notice on October 15, the SRFTI had said that a student had manhandled the institute’s Vice-Chancellor Santosh Ajmera, while others gheraoed and abused him.
“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 strictest action against those found guilty. He also said that the actions of 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 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.
On October 1, VC Santosh Ajmera, called the alleged events of September 27 unfortunate and said that students are at the heart of the Institute, and their safety, dignity, well-being and academic journey remain the foremost priority. He stated that there can be no justification for violence within an educational institution. He assured students and their families of the Institute’s firm commitment to their safety and well-being.
The Institute also said it was extending full cooperation to the concerned authorities and following due process. All necessary measures are being taken to strengthen campus safety and security and to ensure that such an incident does not recur. (ANI)
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