M. Sai Teja Yadav
July the 21st, Monday, was a holiday on account of Bonalu festival. The various lawns and grounds on the campus basked in the cool, monsoon wind and a gentle bustle of students. Not being a Sunday, the campus was relatively free from weekend visitors — but not for long.
In the background, some outsiders were consuming alcohol. They littered the place with bottles and other garbage, and created a nuisance. When students questioned them, the outsiders turned violent and beat up students.
The students staged protests, demanding that the university take strict action against the offenders, and called for the campus to be closed to outsiders. Eventually the outsiders disappeared and the students were detained.
Here all they did was raise their voices, demanding that Osmania University be made a closed campus. They appealed to the administration to put an end to the unwanted activities taking place on campus. They asked for the preservation of Osmania’s resources for future generations. Is that a crime?
Can outsiders can encroach upon university land? Can they roam freely without anyone questioning them? They harass students, particularly female students, often making inappropriate comments. They use the campus roads to learn driving, frequently causing accidents. They have unrestricted access to university grounds, gym, and other facilities. Some have even physically assaulted students.
Osmania, being an open campus for decades, has reached a saturation point. Everyone seems to have taken the university for granted. Today, students are beginning to feel like outsiders in their own campus.
All the students are demanding for is a secure, closed campus and proper safety measures. The university administration must take these concerns seriously. It should form a committee to thoroughly examine the students’ demands and take swift, meaningful action.
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