Fate of Telugu University branch hangs in balance

The fate of Telugu University branch in History and Archaeology at Srisailam has been hanging in balance with the proposal to shift the Telugu University to Rajahmundry.

According to reports, a high-level meeting of the Potti Sriramulu Telugu University at Hyderabad on Wednesday explored the possibility of shifting the University and its branches to Rajahmundry.

The litterateurs and educationists who have been closely following the activities of the History Peetham at Srisailam sharply reacted to the development saying the spirit of the university was watered down by the bureaucratic professors of the university from time to time.

Former Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao envisaged the Telugu university to be located at Srisailam to offer courses in ancient studies in 1987. However, the bureaucrats changed it into three centres devoting the folk arts to Warangal, Telugu Peetham at Rajahmundry and history at Srisailam. But the head quarters of the University was located at Hyderabad.

The university authorities were in dilemma with the bifurcation of the State. The head quarters and the Warangal centre might go the way of Telangana State, who would also rename the university deleting the prefix “Potti Sriramulu”.

Several attempts were made in the past to shift the Srisailam centre to Hyderabad but the opposition from the local politicians forced the officers to drop the idea. Another move was made to shift the centre to Kurnool on the ground that more courses could be introduced. Shifting of the centre to Kurnool had no much opposition.

Educationist and socialite K.C. Kalkura who opposed the idea of winding up the centre said the Peetham should be shifted to Kurnool to be developed as university of Environmental and Ethnic studies while the existing facility at Srisailam should be used for accommodating the visiting students who need to stay at Srisailam as part of study of diversity of Nallamala forest.

He said the policy makers should be careful in taking any decision in future knowing the fact the unequal development and unilateral way of functioning led to division of the state and such mistakes should not be done in future.