Clash with Paramilitary Forces; Call For Edu Bandh Tomorrow
Osmania University campus was once again on the boil on Monday
despite the Telangana Student Joint Action Committee (TSJAC) calling for a peaceful
protest. While around 200 students started an indefinite hunger strike as planned
in front of the Arts College building, hundreds of others took to the campus roads
shouting slogans and pelting stones at the police and paramilitary forces deployed
at all the major entrances of the campus. The students have called for a bandh of
educational institutes on July 13.
Trouble started on the campus at 10.30 am when 50 students of Telangana Vidyarthi
Aikya Vedika tried to take out a bike rally to Raj Bhavan and were stopped by the
police at the NCC Gate on the Vidyanagar side of the campus. The arrival of Telangana
advocates to join the hunger strike around the same time added fuel to the protest.
Within an hour of the stand-off near NCC gate, hundreds of students marched to the
OU police station located near B-Hostel, demanding the release of advocates and
students from other universities who were arrested on Monday morning for trying
to enter the campus. The students claimed that the police arrested thousands of
their friends who wanted to join the hunger strike. In retaliation to students barging
into the police station, the paramilitary forces stationed there fired several rounds
of tear gas shells and stun grenades. About 12 students and four police personnel
suffered minor injuries. Among those arrested by the police were top ten OUJAC leaders
and leader of Telangana Advocates Forum Jyothi Kiran. Student JAC leaders said they
would continue their strike till the central government initiates the process of
state formation. We are expecting more students to join us. The central and state
governments should understand that they will have to witness hundreds of students
die on OU campus if they do not initiate the new state formation, said Manne Krishank,
OU-JAC spokesperson.
Those who went on hunger strike include students from Telangana University and Kakatiya
University.Students said that in the coming days they will conduct cultural festival
`Telangana Dhoom Dham on campus which will be attended by political JAC members
including the resigned Telangana MLAs. We will also conduct a Vanta Vaarpu (cook
and serve) on OU campus roads on Tuesday, said Tirumani Kondal, representative,
OU-JAC. Members of Vidyarthi Aikya Vedika decided to tonsure their heads in protest
on July 13.
Osmania University police said that they would have to arrest and remove students
from other campuses who are already on a hunger strike on OU campus. The police
said these students managed to get inside the campus about a week ago.
Meanwhile, Osmania University has postponed the examinations scheduled to begin
on Tuesday. The ABVP activists too have listed out a protest plan which includes
blockades on national highways on July 13, Study on the road on July 15, Chalo Speaker
on July 18 and protests at district headquarters on July 27.
SHRC seeks CP report on OU arrests:
The Telangana advocates joint action committee (JAC) filed a petition with the State
Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Monday alleging that the police took custody of
students observing a peaceful hunger strike on Osmania University campus illegally.
The SHRC directed the commissioner of police, Hyderabad, to file a report responding
to the petition by July 14. The Telangana advocates JAC alleged that about 300 students
who had been on a peaceful hunger strike had been taken into custody by the police.
They condemned the use of force by police to interrupt the hunger strike and called
for immediate release of the students. They demanded that the police withdraw battalions
deployed on OU campus. The SHRC asked the committee constituted by the Supreme Court
to ensure that utmost restraint was observed by the police in the use of force against
students who were on a peaceful hunger strike, besides maintaining the peace and
tranquility on OU campus. The police were directed to take the advice of the vice-chancellor
of OU, while dealing with student-satyagrahis. The T advocates JAC also alleged
that the mobile ambulances and medical facilities were not stationed on the OU campus
as per SHRCs directions. The SHRC directed the police commissioner to take immediate
steps to see that mobile ambulances are arranged and that the injured shifted to
government hospitals, without delay.
Courtesy: Times of India
