Osmania varsity students to go ahead with Telangana protest

HYDERABAD - Contending that talks would serve no purpose, the students of Osmania University, the nerve centre of the Telangana agitation, have decided to go ahead with their plans for a massive public meeting in the campus on Sunday to push the central government to begin the process for creating Telangana state.

While political parties are gearing up to participate at an all-party meet called by the government on Jan 5, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of students feels agitation is the only way to achieve statehood for Telangana region.

The JAC plans to mobilise half a million people from across the region for ‘Chalo Hyderabad’ march and the meeting.

In an innovative protest, JAC leaders Friday began a sit-in at the Buddha statue in Hussain Sagar Lake in the heart of the city demanding police permission for the meeting. The huge statue is located in the middle of the lake and student leaders are staging a sit-in on the platform surrounding the statue.

Hyderabad police have already imposed prohibitory orders for a week in the city and surrounding areas and stated that there would be no permission for the meeting.

JAC leader Suman said they would go ahead with their programme as they don’t believe that talks convened by the government would help.

Osmania University witnessed unique New Year celebrations with Telangana state as the central theme of all the cultural programmes.

The JAC, which had given a call for boycott of New Year celebrations at hotels, clubs and resorts, did not try to disrupt celebrations but instead came out with the unique idea to highlight their demand.

Hundreds of students including girls, their parents, teachers and other sympathisers of the movement maintained night vigil with candles. Singing of folk songs and celebrations of Telangana region festivals were the highlights of the programme.

University teachers and other sympathisers of the movement Friday held a ‘yagnam’ on the campus praying for formation of Telangana state.

Similar meetings were held in other parts of Telangana with protesters exuding confidence that a separate state would be a reality in 2010.

Meanwhile, protests continued across Telangana, which comprises 10 districts including Hyderabad.

Lawyers in Mahabubnagar staged a unique protest by holding a ‘Telangana High Court’ and conducting a ‘public hearing’ of the Telangana case. In Karimnagar, protesters organised ‘Telangana Olympics’, playing various games on the roads.

Tension prevailed in Adilabad when police forcibly shifted four JAC leaders, who were on hunger strike, to hospital. Their supporters resisted the attempts of police leading to scuffle.

The hunger strike by five students at Kakatiya University in Warangal entered the fifth day. Doctors said their condition was deteriorating. The fast by Telugu Desam legislators Sitakka at a hospital also entered the fifth day.