Students at the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, who were ordered to leave the campus within 24 hours in a notice issued on Friday evening, refused to vacate their hostels on Saturday.
More than 100 students on the residential campus said the short notice was unreasonable and violated their rights.
Many students are from distant states, including Kerala, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
“Why should we leave the campus? Restoring normalcy by addressing our safety and security concerns following the attacks on us by RSS-linked organisations is the administration’s responsibility. Instead, it has suspended classes till November 13 and asked students to vacate the hostels,” said Blossom Hazarika, a student from Assam.
“This is unacceptable and a violation of human rights. We cannot comply with it,” he said.
SRFTI vice-chancellor Santosh Ajmera said students defying the order would be served disciplinary notices that “may impact them unnecessarily”.
On Friday, the institute suspended academic activities until November 13 and directed students to vacate hostels and other campus spaces within 24 hours amid an ongoing agitation and class boycott over the attacks.
Filmmakers, including Anurag Kashyap, shared a solidarity message on Instagram. Initiated by Kerala filmmaker Aashiq Abu, the campaign called for an “investigation into the attacks, a fair review of the rustication orders, accountability for those responsible for violence and protection of democratic rights”.
“We stand in solidarity with the students of SRFTI, who are facing violence, intimidation, and unjust punitive action for raising their voice for safety, accountability and democratic rights on the campus,” the message said.
On September 27, SRFTI students were attacked on campus allegedly by members of the RSS-linked Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP).
After the attack, Kashyap had shared a statement by the SRFTI students’ union on Instagram: “This is what they stole the votes for in Bengal. This and so much more.”
Students began boycotting classes the following day.
On October 4, supporters of the Hindu Jagran Manch allegedly attempted to storm the campus, accusing SRFTI students of disrespecting images of Swami Vivekananda and Bharat Mata.
The administration later asked students to resume classes from October 7, saying security had been strengthened and police deployed at the main entrance. But students continued the boycott, demanding accountability for the security lapses and action against those responsible for the attacks.
On October 15, the institute rusticated six students for allegedly manhandling, heckling, gheraoing and verbally abusing Ajmera. Friday’s order to suspend classes and vacate the campus followed.
Responding to the students’ refusal to leave, Ajmera said in a text message: “Most students had already planned their vacations as per Durga Puja holidays. It is only a few students who are trying to violate the official orders, under the pretext of ongoing agitation.”
He added: “Rusticated students will have to vacate the hostel, as they are residing illegally and would attack necessary penalties. The others who are trying to violate official orders are advised not to do so, as necessary disciplinary actions, once initiated, may impact them unnecessarily. The institute and facilities are already suspended, as per official communication, and students were given sufficient time.”