Hyderabad, March 25: After an intense agitation that caught the attention of the nation and the subsequent lull following political and academic developments, Osmania University students are once again planning to revitalise the Telangana agitation with a series of peaceful programmes.
Telangana students JAC which is planning to come out with its programme schedule soon, however, wants to keep any kind of violence out of the agitation as it has affected both the students and the common man.
The first step towards reviving the agitation will be bringing students back to Arts College for relay hunger strikes that provided a platform for sympathisers from the city and districts to come together. “Violent activities on the campus worked as a double-edged weapon. It did give impetus to the movement, but also put a negative tag to the university’s image,” averred a JAC leader. But he blamed the police for the past violent incidents.
“We were drawn into violence deceptively by the police. However, we will be cautious this time,” he claimed. Most students are averse to violence as they feel that it was only the political parties that benefitted from the agitation while students got a bad name.
A section of students also argue that JAC leaders should not have antagonised MLAs and political parties by publicly ridiculing them and passing demeaning remarks against them.
“One should not forget that if the OU agitation was successful, MLAs too have a share in it, given their monetary and material support. Lack of experience among student leaders in leading such a huge movement has created a rift between them,” says a senior teacher, who witnessed such movements in the past.
Several senior faculty members point out that teachers who should have provided proper guidance to the students have utterly failed in their role. “Even teachers have joined the agitation and it seems everyone wanted to have a share in the popularity cake at the Arts College,” said a senior professor.
“The leadership fell for media bytes and ignored designing a concrete plan for a long term agitation which is needed for success of any agitation,” is the common refrain.
–Agencies