The statehood call for a separate Telangana was meant to cater to the needs of the region as well its people and work for the development of the region. It was presumed that the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh would auger well for the newly formed state of Telangana and ironically the assumption did prove to be true in the very first week after the official declaration.
Osmania University is set to be one of the first gainers from the declaration of the creation of a separate Telangana state. The positive outcome came in the form of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation’s (APSRTC) decision to yet again resume its bus services inside the university campus after a hiatus of two years. The buses are scheduled to start plying the stretch inside the campus from this week onwards.
Incidentally, APSRTC had earlier stopped plying its buses on the 3.5 km stretch from university’s NCC gate to Tarnaka crossroads after a violent student’s agitation in June 2010. The incident saw seven RTC buses being burnt down by the agitating students who were staging a mass demonstration demanding Telangana’s statehood. The RTC officials now feel it safe to ply the buses yet again on the campus as the protests have died a natural death owing to the Congress’ official declaration in favour of bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.
The decision has come as a much needed boon for Osmania University students who could now save their precious time and energy through the bus services. Earlier they had to walk the entirety of the vast stretches of the immense campus grounds. The decision will cause the cessation their daily obligatory ordeal for the past two years.
Nasrin Sultana, a student of the university said, “For the past two years it had become very difficult for the students to commute after the suspension of the RTC bus services. We are gladdened by the APSRTC’s decision to start their services yet again.”
On being questioned why the students did not request RTC to restart their services after they had held their buses from plying on the campus, many students responded that whatever they had done previously for solely for the sake of Telangana. “Neither did we complain nor did we pressurize RTC to resume their services inside the campus. We were ready to bear small sacrificial difficulties for the Telangana agitation,” said A R Reddy, a student who participated actively in the Students’ Telangana agitation.
Student leaders who were miffed with the transport corporation’s decision to withdraw their services opened up to the media explaining that it was selfish on the government’s part to prohibit buses from plying inside Osmania University. “Very few students of the university own private transport. Most of the students had to suffer the ordeal on a regular basis,” said a popular student leader of Osmania University.
Ironically, the decision of APSRTC to restart bus services came only after Osmania University’s VC S Satyanarayana had pleaded the government body in that regard. The college authorities expressed their happiness on the acceptance of their request upon which buses will be seen inside the campus grounds yet again.
Tags:
Osmania University
Student Leaders
Telangana
