SRFTI students to sit in talks with authorities

Kolkata: With the impasse at Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) having being resolved, the students will now hold talks with the authorities to press for their charter of demands that involves overhauling of infrastructure.

"Our academics have been suffering due to our movement and this was delivering a wrong message as SRFTI is an institution of repute. We will continue to press for our demand of improvement in the living conditions in the hostel, slashing of fees and more funds for academic projects. The authorities have agreed to sit for talks in this regard," a member of SRFTI students' association said. The first round of talks with the authorities is expected to be held on Wednesday.

The impasse at Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute (SRFTI) that had continued for more than a fortnight due to agitation from the students was resolved with students withdrawing their agitation from November 1 and returning to their classes.

The students had also resorted to relay hunger strike demanding unconditional revocation of the expulsion order of the girl students from the institute over their initial refusal to shift to the newly-built girls' hostel from a common accommodation which also had boys.

The authorities accepted the students demand and formally revoked of the expulsion of 14 girls

who had already shifted to the new girls' hostel building that led to withdrawal of the agitation.

SRFTI director Debamitra Mitra said that they will give a patient hearing to students when it comes to their demands.

The campus of SRFTI has been witnessing protests from students that was triggered from the expulsion of fourteen girl

students for their refusal to vacate an old hostel and shift to a new

accommodation. The students alleged that building a separate accommodation for girls was an act of moral policing.