HYDERABAD: In what looks like a clever ploy to steal the thunder from the TRS government’s Telangana National Integration Day festivities, the University Grants Commission (UGC), apparently under instructions from the Centre, has asked the universities and colleges in Telangana, Marathwada, and parts of Karnataka, to celebrate September 17 as Hyderabad Liberation Day on and continue the festivities throughout the year.
The perception of the occasion by the Centre and the State in ways that suit them is expected to further stretch the already strained relations. The State for a long time had not called the occasion either “Integration” or “Liberation” as it felt it was like opening the Pandora’s Box. But the BJP, which has become very aggressive of late, had the Centre officially declare the occasion as the Liberation Day. It has lined up a massive public meeting on September 17 for which Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the chief ministers of Karnataka and Maharashtra are expected to attend.
Not to be outdone, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar
Rao, came up with his brand of the occasion, calling it Telangana Integration Day, as it would make the TRS look wedded to the integration of the nation, without hurting the sentiments of the Muslims. Between devil & deep sea With the UGC issuing the circular that the occasion should be celebrated as Liberation Day, the universities and the college are now caught between the devil and the deep sea as they can neither hurt the Centre nor the State. The circular issued by UGC secretary Prof Rajnish Jain asked educational institutions to hoist the national flag and organise Prabhat Bheris on the morning of September 17.
He also gave an indicative list of activities to be undertaken by the educational institutions, which include talks by eminent personalities on the liberation of Hyderabad State, street shows on heroes, exhibitions, social media awareness campaigns, quizzes, essay competitions, film and documentary making, painting and photography competitions.
OU Registrar dodges query on Sept 17 celebrations
A research scholar of the Commerce Department of Osmania University, S Nageshwar Rao, however, said that the university students have a different opinion about the event on September 17.“The political parties have different opinions on the importance of September 17. But students will not change theirs because they know what the occasion stands for. Many of us have heard about the suppression during the Police Action of the Indian Union called Operation Polo in 1948 as well as the atrocities perpetrated by the Razakars,” he said.
When asked about how celebrations would be conducted in the wake of the UGC circular, Osmania University Registrar Prof Pappula Laxminarayana ducked the question, saying that the Vice-Chancellor was out of the station to finalise the celebrations. Without mentioning the name of the celebrations, Prof Laxminarayana said that the university is planning to organise a conference on the importance of September 17.