Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Imphal: The Television and Cine Foundation (TCF) of Manipur is demanding action after a violent attack on award-winning filmmaker Dominic Sangma. Two men assaulted Sangma near the Jollang-Rakap road in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, this past Wednesday at 6:30 pm.
Sangma leads the screenwriting department at the Jote campus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). He stepped in when he saw two men harassing students nearby. The fallout was physical. Sangma suffered multiple wounds during the altercation.
TCF president Haobam Paban Kumar confirmed the filmmaker is recovering. He spoke with Sangma shortly after the attack. Kumar noted, "Sangma sustained multiple wounds but was doing fine and was relieved that none of his students were harmed."
This is the second year for the Jote campus. The TCF claims the institute is vital for the region. They argue that local authorities must protect professionals and students moving to the Northeast from across the country. The group now wants a full investigation into the assault and justice for the filmmaker.
Updated at 19th September 2026 at 10:00pm
Sangma was walking home when the confrontation started. He remains focused on the welfare of his students, many of whom are visiting the Northeast for the first time. The TCF worries that these violent episodes threaten the future of the young institution, noting that until recently, the country only had two national film schools.
The foundation issued a stark warning regarding the impact of such violence on the region's image. In a statement, the TCF asked, "What kind of message are we sending out to the rest of the country?" They fear that if the local attitude remains unchanged, parents will stop sending their children to the region for education.
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