he effects of the brutal police crackdown on University of Hyderabad (UoH) students became evident on Wednesday, as many students, including girls, complained of injuries they sustained in the lathi-charge on Tuesday. A total of 34 students were rushed to the varsity’s Health Centre, while another 10 were sent to a private hospital, including one student who sustained severe head injuries.
“What exactly happened was that the protest was going on, and the cops did the drama of warning us twice. It was sloganeering, and we were peaceful. Then the police started dragging us out of the lawn while we were protecting the boys. They were aiming to hit girls in the abdominal area, and I got hurt in the rib cage area, and left gasping for breath,” recalled Avipsha, one of the students who was injured on Tuesday.
Another student, unwilling to be identified, said that he was dragged from the lawn near the Vice-Chancellor’s office, and then was beaten up by the police. “They took us outside because there are no CCTV cameras outside the V-C’s guesthouse premises,” he added. “A number of other students sustained cut marks and bruises during the lathi-charge,” said a source in the UoH’s medical centre.
On Wednesday, Uday Bhanu, another student, who was trying to cook food in the afternoon near the Shopcom area sustained injuries after he was picked up by the police. He was let-off only after several students got into an argument with the cops, who were present in large numbers on the campus.
Hostels closed
The impasse between the students and non-teaching staff continued for the second day at the university on Wednesday, with the former cooking food for themselves owing to messes being shut for the second day.
Water supply to the hostel rooms was also affected, as the non-teaching staff continued their strike for the second day, throwing regular life out of gear for students. With the messes being closed and just one canteen remaining open, students in different hostels took matters into their own hands and began cooking food.
However, even initial plans to cook food by students in front of the Shopcom area took a turn for the worse, when policemen prevented them from doing so, and picked up Uday Bhanu who was injured in the scuffle that ensued.
It was later decided that the food would be prepared behind the Shopcom area. Prior to that, with no signs of the Internet and mess facilities resuming, some of the girl students took the initiative to cook at around 12.30 p.m. Later, even members of the boys’ hostels did the same, and started bringing in provisions for the same. Availability of water, however, continued to be an issue in some places.
However, the situation got a little tense when a huge posse of policemen, in combat gear, began stepping out of security vehicles in the Shopcom area, intimidating students, who expected another bout of lathi-charge. However, it was later discovered that the cops had come prepared to pre-empt a clash between two groups.
Prior to that, many of the non-teaching staff members had gathered in front of the administration building at around 9.30 a.m. They also raised slogans against the students for reportedly assaulting a few of the non-teaching staff members. Though the availability of food was solved by evening, it is to be seen how the situation will unfold on Thursday.
