HYDERABAD: The students of the University of Hyderabad (UoH) on Tuesday boycotted classes and launched an indefinite protest, alleging that the varsity administration has “betrayed” the student community by facilitating clearances for the contentious 400 acres of land, which the state government intends to auction.
The students’ union also accused the UoH administration of allowing “brutal police crackdown” against the protesting students. On Tuesday morning, hundreds of students took out a march to the administrative block. They claimed that the 400 acres of land in question in Survey Nos 25 and 26 are part and parcel of UoH and referred to it as “East Campus”.
They demanded immediate removal of all police personnel and earthmovers deployed in the university. They have also demanded written assurance from the university administration that it will initiate measures to ensure that the land is registered under the university. They asked it to release the minutes of the Executive Committee meeting held on this issue and to ensure transparency in land-related documents.
Student unions including AISA, AIOBCSA, ASA, BSF, DSU, Fraternity, JAKSA, MSF, PDSU, SFI, SIO and TSF as well as ABVP participated in the protest.
While the university administration did not allow journalists to cover the protest gathering, TNIE managed to reach out to the students over the phone.
Speaking to TNIE, a mass communications student said that the state government started clearing the land on Ugadi, which is a public holiday, days before a PIL was to be heard in the high court on April 2, with the help of over 50 earthmovers.
“Even as we were protesting, there were multiple earthmovers clearing the green cover and we could hear the loud wailing calls of peacocks,” he said.
“We want to say that the police and government cannot wash their hands of this atrocity,” he added.
Meanwhile, UoH Students Union general secretary Nihal Sulaiman alleged that the varsity gave a free hand to police inside the campus. He said that the university has refused to put out its official position on the issue, and address the contentions of the students.
He added that they will not go back until the students who were arrested are set free and their demands are met.