The students of the University of Hyderabad, who are protesting the Telangana government’s proposal to auction off 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli adjoining the campus, alleged that students were manhandled as the police tried to curb their protest on the night of Saturday, March 29.
The students had planned to intensify the protest by burning an effigy of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who had recently referred to the protesters as “jackals.” However, several police personnel preemptively tried to stop the protest. While the protesters managed to burn the effigy despite police intervention, the UoH Students’ Union alleged that students were manhandled and injured during this process.
In a statement, the Students’ Union said that the Telangana government, instead of listening to the collective voice of students, staff, academicians, and environmentalists who intend to protect the land and its wildlife, is suppressing student protests using “brutal force” and “demonising” them.
“The government sent a large number of police battalions and unleashed violence on the protesting students. As students gathered, the police continuously tried to target and provoke them. When the students stood their ground, the police escalated violence, injuring many, including female students, with some even losing consciousness due to the attack. Despite attempts to snatch the effigy and suppress the protests, the Students' Union successfully resisted and burned the government's effigy at North Shopcom,” they said in a statement.
On March 26, dismissing the concerns raised by environmentalists and students, CM Revanth Reddy had said in the Assembly, “There are no deer, no tigers, but only ‘cunning jackals’ who want to hinder the state’s development.”
Revanth Reddy's remark came two days after Telangana IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu, a UoH alumnus himself, told the Assembly that the state government would not take over any portion of UoH’s land in Kancha Gachibowli, vowing to protect the university’s lakes and rocks.
The students of the university are up in arms against the government after the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) announced its plans to develop and auction the Kancha Gachibowli land, which came back into the state government’s possession last year after a prolonged court battle. The land comprises prime real estate, situated in the Financial District area, a part of Hyderabad’s IT corridor.
Students, residents, and environmental and climate activists have been protesting the move, saying the land parcel is an important carbon sink for the city, with various species of plants, birds, and vulnerable animal species. They argue that auctioning the land for industrial or commercial use will harm the biodiversity of the region.
Despite assurances from the government that UoH land will remain protected, protests have continued, with students expressing skepticism, citing several past instances of land formerly within the campus being acquired by the government for other purposes. While the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh government allotted 2,324 acres of land for the university campus in 1975, the Telangana High Court has observed in the past that there is no documented proof of the land transfer.
The student body has been demanding that the state government halt the land auction process, set up a review committee to study the biodiversity and ecological significance of the land, and also grant legal rights to UoH over the campus land.