FTII Itanagar students suspend classes after alleged assault on faculty and students

ElevenAM Desk | Itanagar | 19 September 2026 | 3:15 PM IST

Students at the Film and Television Institute of India’s Itanagar campus have suspended academic activities indefinitely after an alleged assault involving students and a faculty member near the institute, turning a local confrontation into a wider dispute over campus security.

The Students’ Council said the shutdown began on September 17, a day after the incident, and would continue until the institute and authorities take concrete steps to address safety concerns raised by students.

According to the council, three students were working on an academic assignment on the evening of September 16 along the Jollang–Rakap Road near the Jote campus when they were confronted by a group of local youths.

The confrontation allegedly became violent after one student was struck with a stick. Dominic Sangma, who heads the institute’s Screenwriting Department and is a National Award-winning filmmaker, is said to have intervened after seeing the students being attacked.

Sangma was also allegedly assaulted during the incident. Another student was reportedly hit on the head with a bamboo stick, while security personnel and institute officials who reached the area were allegedly subjected to threats and verbal abuse.

Police later arrested two men in connection with the case. The arrests have addressed the immediate criminal complaint, but students say the problem goes beyond a single incident.

The Students’ Council has pointed to what it describes as repeated security concerns around the campus, including unauthorised entry by outsiders, intimidation and threats. Female students have also raised concerns about their safety. The council has argued that the campus needs a more reliable security arrangement rather than temporary measures introduced only after a serious incident occurs.

One of the central demands is the deployment of Central Industrial Security Force personnel at the institute. Students say an assurance on CISF deployment had been given in May 2025, but the proposal has not moved forward.

Accommodation for personnel has reportedly been cited as one of the practical hurdles. The issue has now returned to the centre of the students’ protest, with the council seeking a clear timeline rather than another general assurance.

The disruption is significant for a specialised national institution where practical assignments, production schedules and collaborative work form a large part of academic life. An indefinite halt can affect not only classroom teaching but also film projects, workshops and scheduled academic exercises.

Students have therefore framed the suspension as a measure they were compelled to take because of what they consider an unresolved safety risk.

The incident also raises a broader question about how rapidly expanding higher-education and cultural institutions in the Northeast are integrated with their surrounding communities. Students and local residents often share roads, public spaces and commercial areas, making communication and policing around campuses important. In this case, the criminal investigation and the institute’s internal response will both be watched closely.

For now, the Students’ Council has maintained that classes will remain suspended until visible security measures are put in place. The next steps are expected to depend on consultations involving the institute administration, police and other authorities.

The immediate demand from students is straightforward: they want the campus and the roads around it to be safe enough for academic work to resume without fear of another confrontation.