The Crossbill Team
The University of Hyderabad Students’ Union (UoHSU) has declared an indefinite protest and class boycott starting Tuesday, demanding the withdrawal of police personnel and earth-moving machinery from the campus.
Tensions escalated at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) on Sunday (March 30) as Gachibowli police detained 53 students for protesting against the clearing of land in the Kancha Gachibowli area.
While the majority were released later in the day, two individuals, B Rohit Kumar and Erram Naveen Kumar, were arrested and remanded to judicial custody.
UoHSU Vice President Akash urged students and faculty members to participate in the protest and refrain from attending classes. In a joint statement, UoHSU and other student organizations accused the university administration of "betraying" the student community by aiding the state government in clearing 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli, adjacent to the university.
They also denounced what they described as a "brutal police crackdown" on peaceful demonstrators.
The protesting students are demanding a written assurance that the disputed land will be formally registered under the university. Additionally, they are calling for the public disclosure of the minutes from the Executive Committee meeting on the matter and greater transparency regarding land-related documents.
According to the police, the students had gathered at the site in an attempt to stop the ongoing land-clearing work and allegedly attacked officials and workers with sticks and stones. The altercation reportedly left an Assistant Commissioner of Police from the Madhapur Division with severe injuries to his right knee and ankle.
Following a complaint from the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TGIIC), a case was registered against the students under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Authorities refuted allegations of a lathicharge or forced removal of students from their hostels, urging them not to be misled by misinformation and to resolve grievances through official channels. They also warned that any disruptions to law and order would result in legal consequences.
Protest Against Land Auction
The land in question, spanning 400 acres in Kancha Gachibowli, has become a focal point of environmental and political debate. The state government plans to auction the area for the development of multi-use infrastructure and IT parks, a move that has sparked protests from students and environmental activists.
The 'Save City Forests' group, a leading voice in the opposition, argues that the land serves as Hyderabad’s “green lungs.” They claim the area has developed into a rich ecological zone with over 734 species of flowering plants, 10 species of mammals, 15 species of reptiles, and 220 species of birds.
The region also features natural water bodies such as Peacock, Buffalo, and SR lakes, along with ancient rock formations that activists fear will be irreversibly damaged if the auction proceeds.
On Monday, a group of students attempted to march to Raj Bhavan in protest against the government's plans, coinciding with a fresh political row.
The opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has criticized the Congress-led state government’s decision to hand over the land to private players from the IT sector.
Decades-Long Dispute
The controversy over the ownership of this land has persisted for over two decades. While UoH claims that the 400 acres were part of the 2,324-acre campus allotted to it in 1975, the Telangana High Court ruled in 2022 that no formal deed of conveyance had transferred the land from the government to the university.
The Supreme Court upheld this ruling last year, effectively granting the state ownership rights.
Adding another layer to the legal battle, the Vata Foundation, an environmental NGO, has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking "deemed forest" status for the land.
The petition urges the court to declare the area a "national park" under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, arguing that its ecological significance outweighs development interests.
As bulldozers continue to clear the land, students and activists remain steadfast in their resistance, vowing to intensify their agitation against what they see as an environmental and academic setback for the university and Hyderabad.
Tensions escalated at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) on Sunday (March 30) as Gachibowli police detained 53 students for protesting against the clearing of land in the Kancha Gachibowli area.
While the majority were released later in the day, two individuals, B Rohit Kumar and Erram Naveen Kumar, were arrested and remanded to judicial custody.
UoHSU Vice President Akash urged students and faculty members to participate in the protest and refrain from attending classes. In a joint statement, UoHSU and other student organizations accused the university administration of "betraying" the student community by aiding the state government in clearing 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli, adjacent to the university.
They also denounced what they described as a "brutal police crackdown" on peaceful demonstrators.
The protesting students are demanding a written assurance that the disputed land will be formally registered under the university. Additionally, they are calling for the public disclosure of the minutes from the Executive Committee meeting on the matter and greater transparency regarding land-related documents.
According to the police, the students had gathered at the site in an attempt to stop the ongoing land-clearing work and allegedly attacked officials and workers with sticks and stones. The altercation reportedly left an Assistant Commissioner of Police from the Madhapur Division with severe injuries to his right knee and ankle.
Following a complaint from the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TGIIC), a case was registered against the students under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Authorities refuted allegations of a lathicharge or forced removal of students from their hostels, urging them not to be misled by misinformation and to resolve grievances through official channels. They also warned that any disruptions to law and order would result in legal consequences.
Protest Against Land Auction
The land in question, spanning 400 acres in Kancha Gachibowli, has become a focal point of environmental and political debate. The state government plans to auction the area for the development of multi-use infrastructure and IT parks, a move that has sparked protests from students and environmental activists.
The 'Save City Forests' group, a leading voice in the opposition, argues that the land serves as Hyderabad’s “green lungs.” They claim the area has developed into a rich ecological zone with over 734 species of flowering plants, 10 species of mammals, 15 species of reptiles, and 220 species of birds.
The region also features natural water bodies such as Peacock, Buffalo, and SR lakes, along with ancient rock formations that activists fear will be irreversibly damaged if the auction proceeds.
On Monday, a group of students attempted to march to Raj Bhavan in protest against the government's plans, coinciding with a fresh political row.
The opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has criticized the Congress-led state government’s decision to hand over the land to private players from the IT sector.
Decades-Long Dispute
The controversy over the ownership of this land has persisted for over two decades. While UoH claims that the 400 acres were part of the 2,324-acre campus allotted to it in 1975, the Telangana High Court ruled in 2022 that no formal deed of conveyance had transferred the land from the government to the university.
The Supreme Court upheld this ruling last year, effectively granting the state ownership rights.
Adding another layer to the legal battle, the Vata Foundation, an environmental NGO, has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking "deemed forest" status for the land.
The petition urges the court to declare the area a "national park" under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, arguing that its ecological significance outweighs development interests.
As bulldozers continue to clear the land, students and activists remain steadfast in their resistance, vowing to intensify their agitation against what they see as an environmental and academic setback for the university and Hyderabad.
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