Protesters clash with cops outside SRFTI
Kolkata: In a near repeat of Sep 27, supporters of the Bangiya Hindu Jagaran Manch on Sunday attempted to break through the gates and enter the SRFTI when blocked by police. All students were inside, and the gates were locked at 2.30 pm.
Sneha Malakar, a 17th-batch editing student from SRFTI, told TOI that many students and faculty members wore helmets for protection. We were singing protest songs and gathered near the gate, keeping a safe distance,” Malakar said. Filmmaker Debalina recounted hearing someone brandishing a rod shout, “Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maro saalon ko” (shoot the traitors of the country). director Farha Khatun said: “My sister is a student of SRFTI.
The protesters hurled bottles and stones and kept pushing and shoving the gates, reigniting tensions on campus. Students and professors were seen standing inside wearing helmets. The Manch, however, claimed they were attacked first. As the meeting began, students stood guard inside in protest. Right-wing activists suddenly broke through police barricades and approached the SRFTI gates, attempting to break in. Video footage caught protesters hurling bottles inside. Still, at least two female students were injured. “Both were hit on their heads by stones pelted by the crowd outside our gate. One was bleeding, we had to give her basic first aid on campus until police managed to disperse the crowd outside. Later, they were escorted to the hospital. After repeatedly flagging and requesting the admin and police not to permit the protest from Ajaynagar crossing to our campus gate, it was still allowed. We took all precautions we could. Two filmmakers who rushed to the institute upon learning of the stone-pelting incident expressed shock at the escalation. She was inside while I was outside the gate. On receiving constant messages from inside about how students were being hurt by stone pelting, Debalina-di and I rushed to get some medicines as first aid. But we didn’t know how to send them inside.”