The Question is... Will Hyderabad’s Green Cover Survive, or Will ‘Progress’ Come at Too High a Cost?
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On Monday, while the rest of the city celebrated Eid and Ugadi, enjoying the last of the long weekend, students at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) were reeling from the aftermath of police brutality.
"They grabbed my arms, lifted me, and forcefully dumped me in a police bus. It felt like an assault. I have bruises all over my back, chest, and arms."
This is how Ananya Dash, a PhD scholar and member of the university’s Student Union, described her ordeal on Sunday, 31 March.
She was among 53 students detained by the police that day. Their crime? Protesting the destruction of a 400-acre green space next to the university, which the Telangana government has earmarked for an IT park and urban development.
What Exactly Happened at UoH on Sunday? We reached out to students and faculty to find out what's happening on the ground.
'Beaten, Dragged, and Silenced': Why Are Students in Hyderabad Still Protesting?
The first question is... Why are the students protesting?
After all, more IT parks and commercial buildings mean development, right?
Not when it comes at the cost of 400 acres of green cover that is home to over 800 species of flora and fauna.
Environmentalists warn that destroying this land will not only devastate local biodiversity but also worsen Hyderabad’s rising heatwaves. With the city already grappling with extreme temperatures, eliminating this large natural buffer could have serious consequences for public health and residents' well-being in the future.
Students also fear that this sets a precedent for further encroachment on academic spaces for commercial use.
The next question is... Who really owns this land?
While the Telangana government claims sole ownership of the land, the University of Hyderabad (UoH) Joint Action Committee (JAC) argues that, although not officially documented, the land was allotted to the university in 1974 and has been part of its academic ecosystem ever since.
Meanwhile, Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) insists that a survey was conducted on 19 July 2024 — in the presence of university officials — to demarcate boundaries before clearing the land.
However, the University of Hyderabad refutes this, stating in a 31 March press release: "No survey was conducted in July 2024 by the revenue authorities."
On 3 April, the Telangana High Court and the Supreme Court intervened, ordering a stay on bulldozer activity until the matter is resolved. But even with the court’s intervention, a heavy police presence remains on campus, restricting students’ movements and disrupting regular university life.
Despite bruises, arrests, and intimidation, the protesters refuse to back down. They have now called for an indefinite protest, demanding an immediate halt to bulldozer activity and the removal of police from the campus.
As the protests rage on, one final question lingers... Is this just about land, or is it a larger fight against the erosion of democratic dissent?
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ANOUSHKA RAJESH
Principal Correspondent
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