New Delhi: The Congress government in Telangana is facing opposition, among others, from the party-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) over its plan to auction 400 acres of green cover adjoining the Hyderabad Central University (HCU).
On Sunday, AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan met with NSUI’s HCU representatives at Gandhi Bhawan to address tensions arising from the land auction in IT hub Gachibowli. The meeting follows a week of protests by students agitating over large-scale deforestation work by the Revanth Reddy government on the patch of land involved.
According to a NSUI communication, its leaders briefed Natarajan about alleged police brutality on campus in the wake of protests and alleged detention of over 60 students. They submitted demands for FIR withdrawal, release of the detained students, halting the land auction, and securing university land ownership. They also called for transparency, proper environmental assessments, and a peaceful resolution between the university administration and Telangana government.
The patch of land in question, with a rich variety of flora and fauna including deer, peacocks, wild boars and turtles, is part of about 2,500 acres of land that was allocated five decades ago by the united Andhra Pradesh government to set up the central university. According to the state, it is the sole owner of the 400-acre patch.
The protests at HCU have drawn support from student bodies across India, including Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Osmania University (OU), opposition parties BJP, BRS, and CPM, public groups, intellectuals and activists.
NSUI members also condemned Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s remarks that “there are no tigers or deer in that area, but some cunning ‘foxes’ are trying to obstruct development”.
“The CM’s remarks are factually incorrect. Of course, there are no tigers, but there are deer, peacocks, and a variety of wildlife. This land holds rich biodiversity,” Rachna, NSUI state general secretary, and a PhD scholar at HCU, told ThePrint. “Even as a student wing of the Congress, we condemn such claims. To us, this is more than just land—it’s our living environment.”
Natarajan assured the NSUI representatives Sunday that their demands would be taken up, according to the student body.
Rachna said she and her team had earlier met state IT minister Sridhar Babu, who too assured them that not an inch of HCU land would be touched.
The government has said the area planned for auction was never part of HCU’s sanctioned land and is reportedly considering creation of an eco park on 2,000 acres, including university land, to preserve its key features like Mushroom Rock and nearby lakes.
NSUI national president Varun Chaudhary sought to strike a balance between development and students’ concerns when questioned about the ongoing protests.
“The land dispute was settled by the Supreme Court, not the government. The court ruled in favour of the state, and the government simply followed that decision. We support the environment. But in the name of development, we have to generate jobs there. We have to give more jobs to the students there. You know that the central government has even cut the Telangana fund,” he said.
“In the states where our government is, the central government has even stopped giving funds. Because of the shortage of funds and other problems, if the government wants to develop, I don’t think it will be a problem to develop.”
Despite the assurances, NSUI members remain skeptical and cite the bulldozing of part of the 400-acre land last week as evidence of the state’s indifference. “Half the land was flattened in two days while the students were away (university holiday). That says everything,” Rachna said.
She further explained that while NSUI follows the Congress’ values like secularism and social justice, the students are also directly connected to the issue as key stakeholders.
The NSUI, however, is also split over the matter, with not all members sharing the same concerns. Ritish Rao, NSUI state vice-president and a student at Hyderabad’s CBIT college, believes the state government’s stance is valid and that much of the student outrage is based on misinformation.
“This land was never officially part of HCU. It was allotted to a private company in 2000. In 2004, HCU got 350 acres elsewhere. This issue is being politicised by the university administration, which is aligned with BJP interests,” he alleged.
According to Ritish, once HCU student leaders saw the official documents, they understood that the land doesn’t belong to the university. However, he said, they are pushing for protection of lakes and the Mushroom Rock. “Our CM has assured us that these areas will be preserved, and an eco park will be built. There’s no intention to destroy the environment.”
Varnika Dhawan is an intern with ThePrint.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
