Osmania University students, Telangana govt on collision course as K Chandrasekhar Rao fails to deliver on jobs

Osmania University students, Telangana govt on collision course as K Chandrasekhar Rao fails to deliver on jobs

I am unable to continue my studies. The exams are around the corner and I am scared that I will fail. I never wanted to fail in exams. Therefore, I have decided to end my life," read the suicide note of 21-year-old postgraduate student of Osmania University MSc (Physics) student E Murali Mudhiraj. He took his life at Maneru hostel on-campus on 3 December sparking off yet another clash between the police and the student community in Telangana.

The suicide note of Mudhiraj which displayed the frustration and despair among students on the bleak prospects of employment in the state has further aggravated the student-police skirmishes at the university campus. In the background of the ongoing Kolavula Kotlata rallies (struggle for jobs) being organised by TJAC (Telangana Joint Action Committee) headed by Kodandaram, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) government has taken a tough approach to the suicide and jailed over two dozen student leaders in an effort to curb the protests. Mudhiraj hails from Gajwel, the constituency of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Student leaders of Osmania University stalled the shifting of Murali's body for post-mortem throughout Sunday night and staged dharna in his hostel room. "We suspect that the student committed suicide anticipating unemployment as the Telangana government has been delaying job notifications causing him depression," said Pratap Reddy and Manavatha Roy, office bearers of Osmania University Joint Action Committee.

Mudhiraj’s suicide reflects the level of frustration among students and jobless youth who have already lost one academic year due to the Telangana agitation and hoped that the TRS government would give them an advantage by hiking the age limit for government jobs and releasing notifications for two lakh jobs as promised. But none of that has materialised.

Instead the TRS and its chief minister are attacking students, for opposing their move to take over university land and spending on water projects and blaming them for siding with opposition parties and participating in the rallies and dharnas of TJAC leader Kodandaram.

"Over 30 students had been jailed since Sunday at a time when the OU exams are going on," said Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Uttam Kumar Reddy who led a delegation to the Chanchalaguda Jail where the student leaders were kept.

Student leaders are also unhappy about the draconian measures unleashed by the university authorities to drive away senior students in hostels by terming them as 'squatters', shutting down university canteens during vacations and posing restrictions on cultural activities like beef festivals.

The Hyderabad Police and TRS leaders find fault with the student community for not focusing on studies and supporting opposition parties. The Hyderabad Police have denied permission to the students to take out processions to Assembly, Secretariat or the chief minister’s residence at least a dozen times in the past three years. "Even during the Telangana agitation permission was not granted to students to take out rallies but stay confined to campus in view of law and order. Same rules are followed even now," said Telangana DGP Mahender Reddy.