Hundreds of Osmania University students, fearing outbreak of violence on the campus, left for their native places on Sunday night.
Of the 5,000 students residing on the OU campus, about 2,000 have vacated their hostel rooms fearing a repetition of violence that killed 350 students on the OU campus in the 1969 Telangana movement.
Even parents, who saw the visuals of the lathicharge on television on Sunday, asked their children to return home. On Monday, all the hostel blocks wore an empty look.
Of the 2,000 students who left the campus, about 250 are from the Andhra and Rayalaseema region.
Of the 5,000 students residing on the OU campus, about 2,000 have vacated their hostel rooms fearing a repetition of violence that killed 350 students on the OU campus in the 1969 Telangana movement.
Even parents, who saw the visuals of the lathicharge on television on Sunday, asked their children to return home. On Monday, all the hostel blocks wore an empty look.
Of the 2,000 students who left the campus, about 250 are from the Andhra and Rayalaseema region.
Tension has been prevailing on the OU Campus following the police lathicharge of students on Sunday. Student organisations are currently on an indefinite hunger strike demanding statehood for Telangana. A parent from Nalgonda, who had come to pick up his daughter from the university hostel on Monday, said he remembered the 1969 Telangana movement when hundreds of students died on the OU campus. He said he didn’t want his daughter to be on the campus with the situation being so tense.
“Students were beaten up on Sunday and I have heard rumours of shoot-at-sight orders,” said Mr L. Mahendar, another parent. “Many of my classmates were injured in the lathicharge. My parents called me several times as they were worried for me. Half of my hostelmates have already left. I am leaving on Tuesday,” said Mr Upendar, a student of University College of Science.
Meanwhile, the students’ union is firm on its hunger strike. “Many of the students have left, but we still have enough support from other students. We will go ahead with the hunger strike until our demands are met” said Mr Rama Rao, leader of the Osmania University joint action committee.
The university has boards of “Quit Telangana” on the hostel blocks and the student leaders have even threatened the professors from Andhra region to leave the city. The university currently looks like a battle ground with broken windows, burnt furniture, vandalised vehicles, damaged street lights and empty hostel blocks.
The university has boards of “Quit Telangana” on the hostel blocks and the student leaders have even threatened the professors from Andhra region to leave the city. The university currently looks like a battle ground with broken windows, burnt furniture, vandalised vehicles, damaged street lights and empty hostel blocks.
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