Facultys anti-T stand triggers student protests in City College Postponement Of T Martyrs Commemoration Day Leads To Trouble

Close on the heels of boycotting of Seemandhra B Ed evaluators by Osmania University students, Govt City College students staged a massive protest at Nayapul demanding removal of non-Telangana faculty members.The college,one of the oldest in the city,was preparing to observe late chief minister YSRs first death anniversary when trouble started. What triggered the protest was the decision of the college to put off the Telangana martyrs commemoration (in the memory of two students of the college who were killed in the police firing on September 2,1952) to the later half of the day and to hold YSRs memorial function in the morning. The students alleged that the college authorities forced them to put off the Telangana martyrs commemoration and take part in YSR memorial services. They also alleged that the college authorities from the Andhra region verbally abused a girl student when she approached them seeking permission to take part in the martyrs commemoration.The students took offence at this and staged a protest demanding the removal of Seemandhra faculty members.

Several lecturers and including the principal of the college spoke ill of the Telangana martyrs.Hence we staged a protest against the college, said N Venkatesh,a student and member of the City College Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC). The students alleged that the faculty members from Andhra were against the Telangana martyrs commemoration as they did not sympathise with the agitation.They did not want us to hold the commemoration ceremony from 10 am. The schedule was changed and they forced us to stay in classes till afternoon when the entire college wanted to participate in the ceremony, a student said.The angry students staged a dharna in front of the principals office from 12 noon to 2 pm demanding the removal of Seemandhra faculty members,including the principal.

They relented only after the lecturers tendered public apology for their remarks.When asked about the incident,the principal said that none of the students was intimidated by the lecturers. We decided to hold memorial service for former CM YSR as per government orders.None of the faculty members was disdainful of the Telangana cause.The students have the right to observe martyrs day and no one from the college was against it, said KVLNS Sharma,principal of the college.
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(source-toi)