Cinema veteran and celebrated actor Naseeruddin Shah on Saturday accused the BJP of trying to take revenge on students of the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute following what he called the party’s “manipulative victory” in the Bengal elections.
“The BJP... after its manipulative victory in Bengal elections, now seems all out for revenge on anyone who does not seem to subscribe to their beliefs and policies. The latest victims of this vendetta are the students, the aspiring filmmakers of Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute,” Shah said in a video statement on his Facebook page.
“In return for their demand for accountability from the administration, they have been served showcause notices, put under surveillance, threatened and now have even been asked to vacate hostels.”
The SRFTI students’ union shared the video on its Instagram handle.
The students are boycotting classes since September 28, following an attack on them, allegedly by the RSS-linked Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP).
Shah said: “This BJP, not content with backing and encouraging shameless propaganda in its favour, is now hoping either to brainwash or frighten the future filmmakers of this country and I can promise you this is not going to happen.”
“These are the young people who in the future will tell us the truth about themselves and about our country and about the state that we are in. I urge all right-minded citizens to support the demands...,” he said.
Shah spoke in solidarity with students who were ordered to vacate their hostels last week, after SRFTI suspended academic activities until November 13 “to ensure orderly functioning of the institute”.
Six students were rusticated on charges of manhandling, heckling and verbally abusing vice-chancellor Santosh Ajmera during a protest on October 14. The students have refused to leave the campus.
Ajmera had told Metro on Friday: “We would be left with only an option to forcefully remove them from the campus and initiate disciplinary action as per rules.”
After the September 27 attack, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap wrote on Instagram: “This is what they stole the votes for in Bengal. This and so much more.”
On October 22, filmmaker Payal Kapadia expressed solidarity with the protesting SRFTI students, saying she was “horrified” that they were facing disciplinary action while no action was being taken against those who assaulted them and groped women students.
On October 4, the students were attacked again, allegedly by supporters of the Hindu Jagran Manch.
On Saturday, SRFTI student Blossom Hazarika said: “We want accountability from the SRFTI administration for the back-to-back attacks on students. The support from Naseeruddin Shah, Payal Kapadia and others has given our protest momentum.”
Ajmera said: “We respect the right of eminent artistes and public figures to express their concerns. We urge them to consider the complete sequence of events and verified facts before reaching conclusions. Genuine concern for students should help restore academic life, not prolong the impasse or turn it into a political or ideological contest.
“Our priority is the safety, dignity and academic future of every student. We remain committed to resuming regular classes at the earliest practicable opportunity, subject to safety considerations. Dialogue remains open, but it requires cooperation, respect for institutional discipline and compliance with administrative directions.”