Hindu Jagran Manch storms Kolkata film institute, throws stones to Tukde Tukde Gang at campus.

Hindutva Group Storms Kolkata Film Institute in Protest Against Alleged Leftist Stronghold.

Saunak Roy Choudhury | HENB | Kolkata | Oct 6, 2026:: Members of the Hindutva outfit Bangiyo Hindu Jagaran Manch marched to the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata on Sunday, breaking police barricades and allegedly throwing stones into the campus at leftist students who, according to the protesters, had used abusive language against Hindus and Hindutva. The protest came a week after violence at the institute left at least six students injured.

The protesters also clashed with police while attempting to enter the institute, according to reports.

The march was organised in response to an incident on September 27, when leftist students allegedly objected to an event at the institute on the grounds that its organisers were affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Shaw alleged that the students had disrespected images of Swami Vivekananda and Bharat Mata.

At least six students were injured in the September 27 violence. One student was reportedly struck on the head, while another was allegedly attacked with a knife. Poorvi Bondre, a student union member, alleged that the attackers called the students “anti-nationals” and “Naxals”. The Hindutva outfits alleged that Leftist students had earlier raised slogans such as “Azadi, Azadi” and “Bharat Tere Tukde Honge.” In retaliation, the Hindutva outfits confronted what they described as “Tukde-Tukde gangs” on the campus.

The event that triggered the confrontation was reportedly organised by the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat. The RSS is the ideological parent organisation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

During Sunday’s march, Shaw reportedly said that the “dimagi Naxals” at SRFTI would be “taught a lesson” in the same manner as at Jadavpur University, where clashes broke out between the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left-affiliated student groups on August 20. The ABVP is the student wing of the RSS.

The phrase “dimagi Naxal” has been used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to refer to what he has described as a threat to Indian society.

SRFTI students alleged that members of the Hindutva group also removed pictures of B.R. Ambedkar and M.K. Gandhi from the institute gate. Ahead of Sunday’s march, students had written to Kolkata Police and the West Bengal government, seeking adequate security and urging the authorities not to allow the protest.

Students from film institutes in Pune and Itanagar also wrote to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, expressing concern over the proposed rally.

The confrontation at SRFTI has also brought renewed attention to the ideological contest over campuses associated with film and media education. Institutions such as SRFTI in Kolkata, the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, and film institutes in Itanagar and Mumbai have traditionally witnessed strong participation by Left-leaning student organisations and faculty unions.

In recent years, organisations and student groups aligned with the political Right have increasingly challenged what they describe as a longstanding Leftist dominance or “capture” of such campuses. The latest confrontation at SRFTI is being viewed by supporters of the Right as part of a broader effort to break these perceived ideological strongholds.
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_Agency Inputs.