Hyderabad: While demanding better living conditions, over 50 students from Nizam College found themselves detained after taking to the streets in protest. The demonstration, which centered around inadequate facilities in the college’s hostel and mess, resulted in the students being held at the Begum Bazaar Police Station on Wednesday.
The students spoke about their grievances alleging that three female students are forced to share a single bed, and approximately 30 students are crammed into a single, large room. Frustrated by what they describe as deplorable hygiene in the mess, some shared that they couldn't bring themselves to eat there.
The protest escalated to the point where the students sat on the main road in Basheerbagh, disrupting traffic and drawing the attention of law enforcement. Subsequently, the students were detained for blocking movement on the road.
College principal Prof. B Bhima, had refused to engage in discussions with them. Faced with what they perceived as a lack of responsiveness, the students announced that beginning on Thursday, December 21, they would boycott all classes until the principal commits in writing to addressing their concerns.
The urgency of their plea by the onset of winter, which heightens concerns about the potential spread of sickness, including the looming threat of a new variant of Coronavirus JN.1.
Sharanya J., a second year student at the forefront of the movement, expressed the gravity of the situation, emphasising the need for prompt resolutions. “The onset of winter and advisories against new variant of Coronavirus have only made our fears worse. How can the management expect us to sleep so close to each other?" she asked.
Another student said that the prolonged wait for proper accommodation, added to the frustration and time has come for definitive action.
