Spate of suicides continues over Telangana
After a lull of about ten days, emotions are once again riding high in Telangana with a spate of suicides reported in the region out of frustration and unhappiness over the delay in formation of Telangana state.
While a student set himself on fire in Osmania University and was charred to death, another youth killed himself in Medak while in Nizamabad district an elected representative consumed pesticide and died demanding creation of Telangana state.
A girl student too is said to have killed herself in the city according to unconfirmed reports. In protest, the Osmania University students Joint Action Committee has called for a 48-hour bandh from Wednesday in Telangana.
Tension prevailed in the Osmania University campus as students boycotted examinations. The students JAC however appealed to the students to boycott the exams. It also called upon all elected representatives to resign by January 28 demanded by the all party Telangana JAC. Meanwhile, protests also broke out across Telangana including Warangal, Karimnagar and Mahbubnagar with students boycotting exams and holding rasta rokos.
The suicide triggered off political activity with Telangana Rashtra Samiti leaders headed by K Chandrashekhar Rao and other leaders making a beeline to the OU campus which has been a nerve centre of Telangana movement.
Unhappy with lack of forward movement in the process of state formation through consultations as promised by the Centre after the January 5th all-party meeting, the political JAC called for resignations by all Telangana elected representatives by January 28 to create a constitutional crisis and force the Centre’s hand.
Should their resignations be not accepted an indefinite bandh would be launched, the JAC said. Meanwhile, relay hunger strikes are being held across the region in response to JAC call.
