Daijiworld Media Network – Hyderabad (SP)
Hyderabad, Jul 11: The students of the city-based Osmania University have reiterated their decision to go ahead with mass hunger strike from Monday July 11, in protest against the lackadaisical handling of the demand for statehood for Telangana by the central government. Osmania University, which had been in the limelight in the past relating to student agitations and examination irregularities, seems to be heading for another crisis, with the decision of Telangna Students Joint Action Committee to go ahead with the strike call it had given earlier. The mass hunger strike is being undertaken at the arts college within the university campus.
The region is already under turmoil with the resignation of MLAs, MPs, and ministers hailing from Telangana region to declare their solidarity for the demand for carving out Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh to pave way for its all-round development. The normal life of the people living here was crippled because of a four-day long bandh observed last week. The students of the university, who are vociferously demanding for separate Telangana state, had fought with the police during the bandh period on July 5 and 6, after the policemen lobbed teargas shells to disperse a crowd of students who wanted to take out a rally in support of their demand. Leader of joint action committee, Kodandaram was also arrested for violating prohibitory orders.
The city police commissioner, A K Khan, has already made it clear that prohibitory orders issued under section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code are in force within the city limits till July 14, which bars unlawful assembly of five or more persons. Notwithstanding this warming, the students are determined to go ahead with their plan of agitation. While the students claim that they have sought for permission to hold the agitation, Khan has denied having received any such requests or giving permission for the same.
As per a Supreme Court directive, outsiders are barred from participating in any meetings or programmes inside the campus. Hence, only the students, as well as teaching a non-teaching staff of the university can participate in this agitation. The policemen said they will ensure that this directive is strictly enforced, even as the state government formed a peace committee to convince the students to ensure that their agitation programme will be peaceful in nature. The committee has asked the students to always have the identity cards issued to them during the period.
The Telangana issue has also turned to be an emotional issue for the students, as three students including a university student, Sai Kumar, have committed suicide for this cause so far.