Kolkata, Oct. 30 -- Parents of students at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata, have sought an independent inquiry into incidents of alleged campus violence, withdrawal of police personnel from hostels and suspension of disciplinary action against students.
In a letter to Vice-Chancellor Santosh Ajmera and the institute's chairman, the parents demanded a probe headed by a retired High Court judge into incidents on September 27 and October 4, the police deployment on October 27 and the administration's handling of the subsequent protests. They have sought a written response within seven days.
The demands come as students continue an indefinite sit-in outside the vice-chancellor's office, which began on October 12, alongside an academic boycott that started on September 28. The parents alleged that students were chased and injured during the September 27 and October 4 incidents. They have sought copies of the police complaints and details of the action taken against those responsible.
The parents also demanded that rustication orders issued against six students and show-cause notices served on eight others be kept in abeyance pending the inquiry. They sought the withdrawal of an October 16 notice suspending academic activities in the Film and Electronic and Digital Media departments until November 13 and directing students to vacate the premises within 24 hours.
The letter called for the immediate resumption of classes, restoration of electricity, water, internet, mess and medical facilities, and a plan to make up for lost teaching time without extending the academic term or charging additional fees. The parents also opposed an October 23 email asking them to take their children home, saying it failed to explain the steps taken to ensure campus security.
They further demanded that police be withdrawn from the hostels and interior areas of the campus, with security restricted to the main gate and perimeter. They also sought assurances that no student would be evicted or penalised for participating in peaceful protests.
SRFTI Registrar Deepak Kumar said the institute had received an email from parents on Thursday. "The institute received mail yesterday from the parents of a few students. The concerns raised therein will be addressed appropriately in due course," he said.
Faculty members have separately raised concerns over the police deployment and hostel conditions. The students' union has also alleged that police personnel were recording students on campus and that a security guard had secretly recorded students, including women, on his mobile phone.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.