FTII students in Pune protest, demand withdrawal of rustication notices to six SRFTI students

Students of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, held a demonstration on Tuesday in support of students of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata. They said it was part of protests being held across the country. The students allege that political interference on campuses is growing, that students are being intimidated and that attempts are being made to suppress dissent.

The protest was held at the call of the SRFTI Students' Union. Student organisations say the "saffronisation" of educational institutions is increasing and that organisations linked to the RSS and the Sangh Parivar are interfering in campus affairs. On Tuesday morning, FTII students sang songs and raised slogans at the institute's gate.

The FTII students stood by their SRFTI colleagues over the allegations of violence during the clash on the SRFTI campus on September 27, and over the disciplinary action taken against six students afterwards. According to a statement issued by the FTII students, members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) allegedly attacked SRFTI students on September 27 after being asked to stop an event allegedly held on campus without the students' consent. The allegations of assault and the circumstances of the clash have not been independently verified.

The FTII students condemned the alleged incident. They said campuses should remain spaces for free thought, artistic expression, democratic participation and peaceful dissent. They described the alleged interference of outside political organisations as a serious threat to the autonomy of educational institutions.

The disciplinary action by the SRFTI administration against six students is at the centre of the protest. The FTII students have demanded that the rustication notices be withdrawn immediately. They say the action is disproportionate and an attempt to silence students. They also oppose the administration's attempts to remove students from the hostel and the campus. The students argue that disciplinary action and bans on staying on campus should not be used to discourage legitimate protest.

An FTII student said: "Our demand is that the rustication of the six SRFTI students be cancelled and that the administration there stop its attempts to ruthlessly remove all students from the campus in the name of 'restoring normalcy'. Protesting students and organisations from outside, our comrades, also joined this demonstration of support. Long live student unity."

The FTII students also linked the SRFTI dispute to the concerns of student organisations at other educational institutions across the country. Their statement expressed solidarity with students of Jamia Millia Islamia, IIT Bombay, Ambedkar University, Aligarh Muslim University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, the University of Hyderabad, Pondicherry University and Jadavpur University.

The students allege that similar political interference, violence or attempts to stop student participation have been seen on several campuses. They say the SRFTI case should be viewed within the larger debate on institutional autonomy, freedom of expression and the democratic rights of students.

The students appealed to civil society organisations, cultural groups and the media to take forward the concerns raised by the SRFTI Students' Union. Their main demands are withdrawal of the six rustication notices, a halt to the alleged hostel eviction drive, accountability for the alleged violence of September 27, and protection of campus autonomy.