Telangana: Congress govt finds itself cornered in row over tree felling near HCU campus

In 2016, students of Hyderabad Central University (HCU) launched a massive protest inside the sprawling campus after one of the students, Rohith Vemula died by suicide. Terming it an “institutional murder”, the students blamed the university management for the tragedy and demanded action against its vice-chancellor. At that time, the Congress party threw its weight behind the students with its senior leader Rahul Gandhi visiting the campus and spending the night with the protesters. The BRS, as the ruling party in the state, distanced itself from the issue while the BJP government at the Centre was the target of the students. 

After 10 years, the students of the university have once again taken to the streets, this time for an environmental cause. But, the political parties and their positions have changed. The students are in direct conflict with the ruling Congress government in the state and this time, the BJP and the BRS are backing the students wholeheartedly. 

The attempts of Revanth Reddy’s government to raise adequate revenue to meet the state’s fiscal challenges and fulfil the party’s poll promises are distancing it from civil society and providing enough ammunition to the opposition parties. The state government wants to auction a 400-acre land parcel which was once technically part of HCU but later annexed by the state government to develop the area. 

Over the last two decades, the land in Kancha Gachibowli was handed over to a company to promote sports and later got caught up in court disputes as governments changed. It finally fell into the state’s lap in 2024 after a court ruling. All through, the land acted as an extension of the university supporting its biodiversity and green cover. Seeing an opportunity, the state government readied the land for auction by first transferring it to the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) and then floating tenders for consultants to prepare the layout and for auction management. 

This triggers opposition from the students and environmentally conscious citizens who feel that the land acts as a crucial green buffer in the IT corridor. The cause has picked up steam on social media, with netizens rallying behind it. The auction is estimated to fetch Rs 15,000 crore or more but protesters argue that this is about morality and environmental responsibility, not just about ownership which may be with the government. 

The state government received flak after dozens of bulldozers cleared almost half of the green cover in the 400-acre land much to the shock of many. Videos of the activity taken up at midnight and on weekends went viral. This was done even when a PIL was pending in the high court. 

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the state to stop all development activities at the site until further orders are issued. The court asked the chief secretary to file an affidavit explaining the urgency to remove the trees. A group of environmental experts have documented why the flora and fauna of the land is important. They recorded that it has 233 bird species and a unique spider, Murricia hyderabadensis, endemic to it. It also has endangered species and migratory birds. It is also home to unique rock formations, marshes and grasslands.   

Meanwhile, the BRS has taken up the issue aggressively. The working president of the party and former minister, K.T. Rama Rao, held a press meeting on Thursday and threatened to march to the university in large numbers if the government doesn’t backtrack. 

“Our party’s stand is clear: those 400 acres in Gachibowli will be preserved. When we return to power in three years, we will convert it into the biggest eco-park in Telangana. It will be a gift to the students of HCU and the people of Hyderabad. If anyone believes Revanth Reddy’s sweet promises and buys even an inch of that land, don’t blame us later. Every inch will be reclaimed. It's a promise. We will make sure it becomes a model eco-park, like Central Park in Manhattan. We are committed to protecting the environment in the state,” Rao said.

The BJP is also criticising the Congress government and objecting to the police handling of the protestors. The Congress finds itself in the woods now. If it backs out, the opposition parties will claim victory, if they march through stubbornly, the thorns will only grow sharper along the way.