OU Students To Rally On January 3

The Osmania University students' JAC (Joint Action Committee) has declared after a special meeting this morning that if the Union government does not declare a clear timeframe for creation of Telangana by January 2, 2010, it will organize a garjana (roar) by students on January 3, where students from all over Telangana will congregate in Hyderabad in a Chalo Hyderabad.

The KCR-led larger JAC for Telangana has already said that if such a declaration from the Union government does not come by Monday (Dec 28), there will be a bandh - a non-cooperation movement - all over Telangana from Tuesday. That leads to confusion over why the Osmania students want a declaration now by Jan 2, and if there is a lack of co-ordination.

The larger JAC for Telangana is already riddled with internal dissent, with the Congress increasingly fidgety over sharing a boat with the hyper-vitriolic TRS that constantly ridicules Sonia Gandhi, Rosaiah and other Congress leaders, and more unenthusiastic about the idea with each passing day.

Many politicians feel that the TRS has shown little tact in achieving its goals, adopting a alienating approach instead with extremely acidic and damaging comments against adversaries. Continuous barbs against Chandrababu Naidu, for instance, have resulted in the TDP staying away from the TRS-led JAC.

Plus, people are increasingly tired of bandhs and violence (it's been over 4 weeks now), and there is growing resentment against being bullied into shutting their businesses and staying way from roads, the loss in incomes and livelihoods, and the inconvenience to daily lives. There is a growing opinion that if an indefinite bandh does start from Tuesday, then many people will choose to oppose it, and it will fizzle out soon due to a populace tired of losing incomes.

It is in this context that the OU JAC call can be viewed - a next step if the Dec 29 indefinite bandh fizzles out. The general opinion is that the Union government, caught between a rock and a hard place, can do little now but let things be, since any statement favouring one side can inflammate passions in the other (for example, the Jai Andhra movement has a meeting scheduled in Rajamundry today), and this means there is little likelihood of it changing its stance. Keeping people continuously motivated in such a scenario - of workers losing incomes and students losing academic years - can take ideas and effort, and such regular fresh jolts of activity.