SRFTI: Students Heckled VC, Attacked His Office
The office was found strewn with broken glasses, stone/s and damaged furniture on Thursday morning.
Kolkata: Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) authorities have accused a student of manhandling its vice-chancellor (V-C) Santosh Ajmera while others of verbally abusing him on Thursday after vandalizing his office late on Wednesday night. The fresh incidents of campus unrest unfolded at the premiere central institution amidst a protest by the students demanding Mr Ajmera’s resignation for failing to ensure their safety in wake of a clash during an RSS outfit's event there recently.
In a statement, SRFTI registrar Deepak Kumar alleged, “A student at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) on Thursday manhandled the institute’s Vice-Chancellor (VC) Shri Santosh Ajmera, while others gheraoed and abused him. Shri Ajmera, who had taken charge only around 15 days ago, termed the attack completely unacceptable for his chair, which has led to an extremely disturbing and intimidating environment at SRFTI and said that strict action will be taken.”
He claimed, “The incident occurred after the institute’s heads of department and section heads gathered at the VC’s meeting hall to condemn vandalization of his office during Wednesday night-Thursday morning. As faculty members and officials were leaving the hall, students gheraoed the VC, raising slogans, using abusive words and ultimately one student manhandling the VC. The VC’s office was viciously attacked the previous night, allegedly by students, resulting in significant damage to public property.”
Sharing the extent of damage, Mr Kumar stated, “The office was pelted with stones, resulting in shattered windows, while water and A/C lines were cut off. The office was found strewn with broken glasses, stone/s and damaged furniture on Thursday morning. 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 added that Mr Ajmera “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.”
