SRFTI students attacked after protesting RSS-linked group's campus event; violence continued outside gates despite police presence

# What happened On September 27, students at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata protested an event organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP), a consumer-rights body with organisational links to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The ABGP meeting was held in the institute auditorium, and students objected to a non-film organisation using campus space for a political‑linked event.

The protests escalated into clashes between students and people associated with the ABGP. Protesters were attacked, chased, cornered, and beaten. Some of the physical assaults occurred outside the campus gates. Reports say the attacks continued even though police were present at the site.

# Immediate consequences SRFTI suspended classes after the violence. Academic activities were put on hold as students carried out an academic boycott and administrators engaged with student representatives. Separate coverage indicates the suspension remained in place at least through the second day after the incident.

# Why students objected Students objected on the grounds that the event had no link to film or cinema education and because the organiser has ideological affiliations that students felt were inappropriate for an institute of film and television. The student union said it was not informed about the auditorium booking and publicly challenged the administration's decision.

# Security and police response Multiple accounts say security personnel and police were present during or shortly after the clashes. Despite police presence, attackers reportedly pursued students outside the campus and struck them near the gates. The presence of law enforcement did not prevent at least some of the assaults.

# Wider context mentioned in reporting The reporting places this incident alongside other campus safety and protest-related tensions across the country at the same time, including protests over hostel safety and other student unrest. Coverage linked to the SRFTI clash also notes how campuses have become sites of wider political contestation.

# What changed after the incident Academic work at SRFTI was affected immediately: classes and regular academic activities were suspended while the institute and students sought to address the fallout. Some pre-scheduled production and shooting work reportedly continued under limited arrangements, but full normal operations were on hold as of follow-up reports.

# What remains unanswered in available accounts

# What readers should take away This incident is a campus confrontation that began as a protest against the use of institute space by a politically affiliated organisation and escalated into physical violence affecting students inside and outside the campus. The episode disrupted academic activities and raised questions about how campus spaces are managed and policed when political organisations seek access.