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Under one roof now, Telangana students up the ante

January 11, 2010 19:23 IST

Even as dark shadows of a fresh intense agitation were looming large over Telangana region, students of as many as eight universities across the region have come together to take forward the movement for Telangana.
 
A meeting of the representatives of the student community from the 8 universities has decided to form a new Telangana Universities Students Joint Action Committee to intensify the stir with out depending on the political parties or the leaders.
 
"We will continue our struggle for Telangana even if the politicians go back and stop their struggle There is no question withdrawing the agitation, even if we have to lay down our lives. There are thousands of students who are willing to become martyrs in the cause of Telangana," said M Ajay, one of the leaders.
 
So far the students of Osmania University in Hyderabad, Kakatiya University in Warangal and other varsities in the region were waging their struggle separately under the banner of their own JACs. But now for the first time they have come together.
 
"Our agitation will now be more intense than what was seen after Jalianwala Bagh tragedy during the freedom struggle", he said, warning the politicians against trying to weaken the movement.
 
He gave stern warning to political leaders of Andhra and Rayala Seema against opposing Telangana.

"If you have guts come to any Telangana district and demand integrated Andhra Pradesh", he said.
 
The new JAC has been formed as the student community was in a dilemma whether to appear in the examinations due in the third week of January or stay away as part of the agitation.
 
The new JAC involves students from Osmania Univesity, Kakatiya University, Telangana University, Pamalmouru University, Acharya Ranga University, Mahatma Gandhi University, Satavahana university, and Dr B R Ambedkar Open University.
 
"Four crore people of Telangana are fighting for their state and they will see the results very soon," Ajay said, warning the leaders from Andhra and Rayala Seema to stop their mechanizations to prevent the formation of Telangana state.
 
The Telangana Universities Students JAC has emerged at a time when the All Party Telangana Joint Action Committee, comprising of political parties and several other organizations is going to meet in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
 
"The meeting is going to take several key decisions regarding the future course of our struggle till we achieve our goal of Telangana state", said a senior Congress MLA R Damodar Reddy. He appealed to all the political parties, people's organizations and other groups to attend the meeting.

Mohammed Siddhique in Hyderabad