The tense atmosphere on the Osmania University campus gave way to cheer and instant celebrations on Tuesday night, as news broke about Centre’s decision to initiate the process of forming a separate Telangana State.
As gun-totting policemen maintained a distance, hundreds of dancing students were reaching the Arts College where they had been organising relay hunger strikes. It was only in the morning, the police forcibly vacated them by force.
But by midnight, groups of students dancing in gay abandon to beat of drums were celebrating in front of the Arts College. Police forces, who had anticipated violence on Thursday morning in view of the proposed ‘peace rally’ to be taken out from the university campus to Indira Park, have literally heaved a sigh of relief. The ‘peace rally’, most probably, will now be a victory rally on Thursday.
The university campus was almost deserted as the police by sheer show of force ensured that most of the students left the hostels. The police vigilance was so tight that none including the elected representatives was allowed to get into the campus.
However, the unprecedented number of policemen drafted for security on the campus, have now been watching the impromptu victory processions on the campus.