The emergence of Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) as a political party has given new opportunity for the ‘agitation-hardened’ students of Osmania and Kakatiya Universities to fulfil their political aspirations that they couldn’t do after the TRS failed to accommodate many of them. A strong group of students, who are vocally against the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and the government accusing them of ditching the aspirations of youngsters, are now looking at the TJS as an alternative. A large section of students who were active in the peak of the agitation have either joined the Congress or BJP and the remaining lot see the TJS as the right platform.
“Many students lost their careers and their prime youth in the agitation. They can neither get into jobs or go back home and the TJS is certainly a great place,” reveals a senior professor. As if reading their minds, the TJS too has given students and youngsters an open offer to join politics and make a difference.
“In fact, lot of those students have also been the backbone of agitations against the government even after the formation of Telangana. The party is clear about accommodating them at various levels, right from sarpanch to legislators,” says P.L. Vishweshwer Rao, Journalism professor and now in-charge of the TJS Hyderabad district.
“The failure of the government in meeting the aspirations of youngsters and students of Osmania and Kakatiya Universities either in creating employment opportunities or offering them a new political Telangana has kept them active in the last four years. The party is consciously creating the platform for them. Who can visualise Telangana’s future better than them?,” argues Srisail Reddy Panjugula, who spent 10 years in the UK and returned to India to bring change in politics and now in-charge of TJS Vikarabad district.
Routh Kanakaiah, who was active in Telangana agitation and now TJS in-chrage of Medak district says it was the only party that is consciously building the base from academic institutions.
“We understand the aspirations of students who were active in Telangana agitation and now left in the lurch. We will channelise their energies in the right path and give them the political positions they aspire for,” says Mr. Kanakaiah.
Such students who are now pursuing their research in the OU for the last 4 to 5 years after their PG agree that mainstream political parties cannot accommodate them and the TJS is close to their ideological thinking.
“We worked with Mr. Kodandaram during agitation and we see a better political future in that party,” they say.
