Hyderabad University students end hunger strike after SC relief.
The Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) previously stated that the University of Hyderabad has no legal claim over the 400 acres in question. According to TGIIC, the university had already been allotted 397 acres in a different location as compensation. The corporation emphasized that the land exchange had been settled legally, and any further claims by the university were invalid. This statement came in response to concerns raised over the ownership and usage of the disputed land. Officials reiterated that the matter had been addressed through proper legal channels and that the university had no standing to demand additional land. TGIIC maintained that the allocation process followed due legal procedures, dismissing the university’s claims as unfounded.
Hyderabad: In a significant development, students from the University of Hyderabad have called off their relay hunger strike following the Supreme Court’s directive to halt all deforestation activities at Kancha Gachibowli. The campus erupted in celebration upon receiving the interim relief granted by the apex court on Thursday, April 3.
Approximately 20 students had been participating in the hunger strike, stationed outside the university’s north gate. Their primary demands included an immediate cessation of deforestation and the removal of bulldozers from the campus premises. Additionally, they urged the authorities to withdraw the heavy police presence deployed in the university’s east campus.
The University of Hyderabad Teachers Association also actively opposed the government’s decision to clear the land. Faculty members organized a rally against the proposed land clearance, highlighting their concerns about the environmental impact and the legal aspects surrounding the land. Students further alleged that despite a Telangana High Court order mandating a halt to deforestation and an ongoing Supreme Court hearing, tree felling continued until Thursday morning.
The controversy intensified last week when the state government deployed JCBs to clear the disputed 400-acre plot at Kancha Gachibowli. The move triggered strong protests from students, resulting in confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement officers. Video footage from a teachers’ protest march opposing the deforestation drive showed police officials resorting to force against the protesters.
However, the police denied allegations of a lathicharge, asserting that officers exercised “bare minimum force” against individuals who attempted to push past officials holding a rope barrier. Law enforcement maintained that their response was restrained and proportional to the situation at hand.
According to the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC), the 400-acre land parcel had been allocated to IMG Academies Bharatha Ltd in 2003 for development by the then joint Andhra Pradesh government. However, as the land remained unutilized, the state sought to reclaim it and took legal action over the matter. The TGIIC clarified that in exchange for the 400-acre land parcel, the University of Hyderabad had been granted 397 acres on February 3, 2004.
As a result, the TGIIC emphasized that the university had no legal claims over the 400-acre site, given that a land swap had already been executed. Additionally, officials pointed out that the university’s own campus land had not been formally transferred to its ownership, further complicating its claims on the disputed plot.
The ongoing land dispute has drawn significant attention from students, faculty, and environmental activists who argue that the large-scale deforestation not only disrupts the ecological balance but also undermines the university’s long-standing association with the land. Despite the government’s legal stance, opposition to the deforestation drive remains strong, with students and faculty continuing to raise concerns about the issue.
The Supreme Court’s intervention has provided temporary relief to the protesters, but the broader legal and environmental concerns surrounding the land remain unresolved. The university community awaits further developments as the matter proceeds through the courts.