UoH students launch relay hunger strike, demand halt to tree bulldozing
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Hyderabad: The University of Hyderabad Students Union (UoHSU) on Thursday launched a relay hunger strike opposing the Telangana government's plans to develop a 400-acre land parcel bordering the university and establish an IT park.
The hunger strike began at the university’s main gate, demanding an immediate halt to the "bulldozing of trees," the removal of earth-moving machinery, and the withdrawal of police from the campus, UoHSU Vice President Akash Kumar said. The union also continued its voluntary boycott of classes as part of the ongoing protest.
Since April 1, UoHSU and other allied unions and parties have been staging an indefinite protest, calling for the cessation of the proposed development. The student representatives met Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Delhi on Wednesday, seeking urgent intervention against the alleged land encroachment at the university, also known as Hyderabad Central University (HCU).
Meanwhile, on Thursday, police detained activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) when they attempted to hold a demonstration in front of UoH. An ABVP member demanded that the state government withdraw its decision to auction the 400-acre land. Separately, ABVP-affiliated students within the university began a sit-in protest, said Sai Nishanth, one of the participants.
Environmental activists and student groups have strongly opposed the proposed development, citing concerns about ecological conservation. Activists from SFI, AISF, and PDSU attempted to protest outside the Telangana Secretariat on Thursday but were detained by the police.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K T Rama Rao weighed in on the issue, stating that if his party returns to power, it will transform the 400-acre site into an eco-park to preserve its biodiversity.
"As soon as we come back into office, in a matter of a couple of years, we will turn the 400-acre land at Kancha Gachibowli into the largest eco-park, accessible to both Hyderabad’s citizens and university students. We will preserve biodiversity," he told reporters.
He also warned potential buyers against purchasing the land if auctioned by the government, stating that his party would reclaim it upon returning to power.
The protests intensified on March 31 as the state government maintained that the land belonged to it and not to the university. However, UoH’s Registrar contradicted this claim, stating that the boundary of the disputed land had not been finalized.
The Telangana High Court on Wednesday intervened, directing the state government to suspend all activities on the 400-acre land parcel adjacent to UoH for a day.
Civil society leaders also condemned the Telangana government’s actions, accusing it of using "bulldozer destruction" against the Kancha Gachibowli "urban forest." They demanded an immediate cessation of such activities.
Human rights activist and former UoH professor G Haragopal, former UoH Dean D Narasimha Reddy, and social activist Kirankumar Vissa were among those calling for the complete protection of Kancha Gachibowli, which they described as a "biodiversity hotspot." They also demanded that the land be legally handed over to the university and that no auction take place.
With PTI inputs