Hyderabad: The Osmania University appears to have become the destination for anyone who wants to raise his or her voice against the TRS government and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Leaders from the Congress, BJP, TD and more recently, TJAC chairman M. Kodandaram, have found the OU campus a perfect platform to criticise Mr Rao from, and the students have been quite a receptive audience.
The OU students had been angry at Mr Rao even before he became the CM. In 2014, when Mr Rao’s chopper landed in the campus, he was shown chappals by the students.
The OU has seen protests and effigy burning incidents in the past two years, each dharna lightly more strident than the one earlier, on wide ranging issues like plans to use the OU land for housing scheme, promise of regularisation of government contract workers, lack of job notifications and appointment of Vice-Chancellor.
OUJAC leader M. Krishank says, “If Osmania University students can bring a person to power, we can also bring him down. That is why TRS government is considering non-academicians, including IPS officers, for the Vice-Chancellor’s post to suppress the voice of students.”
He said that students from OU and other state universities have not been given due credit for achieving Telangana state. Telangana Nirudyoga Vidyarthi JAC chairman J. Kalyan says, “OU is representative of entire Telangana as students from all districts study and even raise their voice of protest here. OU has produced pioneers in all fields, including politics. Naturally, if there is injustice, the university becomes a powerful platform for anyone who would like to air their grievances and views.”
Some OU student leaders who were active in Telangana agitation like Pedapalli MP Balka Suman, MLA G. Kishore, mayor, Bonthu Rammohan, Telangana SC corporation chairman Pidamarthi Ravi and TRS politburo member E. Srinivas did occupy good positions in the government.
However, the students complain that none of these former OU students raise their issues or make official visits to the campus to find out their problems.
When asked if the allegations were true, Mr Balka Suman declined to comment.
TPCC working president, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said, “OU has all the right elements: Ideological diversity, intellectuals, youths and teachers from across Telangana which makes it the right platform to raise any issue and protest against injustice.”
