Political Unrest

Real time report: Sunday Feb. 21, 2010

We don’t know if our US friends are getting any of the reports of the political unrest here in Hyderabad (don't worry mom, we are AOK!). Yesterday, there was a HUGE protest on the Osmania University campus in the heart of the city. Over 30,000 police were deployed for security in view of the students' threat to storm the Assembly (the state government headquarters). The police virtually took control of central Hyderabad. Luckily, we are staying a safe distance from this area. The protests have been happening for some months now with great regularity (especially when the Assembly meets) and can shut down movement in the city center completely. The protests are based on the future splitting-in-two of the state of Andra Pradesh. The Telangana region (the northwestern region of Andra Pradesh where Hydrerabad is) would be one state and the remainder another. Hyderabad being the financial and technical center and largest city in Andra Pradesh is being fought over. This latest round of protesting all started on Dec. 9, 2009 when the government of India announced the process for the formation of the Telangana state would be initiated upon introduction and passage of a separation statement by the state assembly of Andra Pradesh.

It is being reported here that yesterday, incensed students engaged the police in pitched battles including stone pelting. The police responded with tear gas and club swinging. A 19 year-old male student doused himself with kerosene and set fire to himself in protest. He died later last night. It is so sad he felt he had to go that far. It appears the reason the students are protesting so passionately, is that many many of them are from the side of Andra Pradesh that will be separated from Hyderabad, leaving their towns and communities without support from the money generated through Hyderabad for jobs, budget allocations, educational facilities.....and there are water issues too. The Telangana region also contributes about 76% of the state's revenue. It appears the fight for this separation has been going on since about 1969. Of course the pro-side and the con-side are both protesting. (Note to our Indian friends-please email me and let me know if I need to change any posted information that is not quite right. I am writing this from newspaper reports, conversations and my own understanding of the situation).

I am getting so engaged watching this entire thing going on. Being born and raised in Northern California and working for so many years at UC Berkeley, I certainly love to witness the passions and debates that drive a meaningful protest. I have taken some pictures from this morning's newspaper headlines in The Hindu to share with you.

You can see the big white Assembly building on the right in the left hand picture. We went to see a dance concert at a theatre just across the street from there (on the road that goes left) last Wednesday, Feb. 17. Notice how the police have completely cleared the road of traffic and people. Something you just can't imagine seeing when you witness the daily chaos of these roads! The photo on the right shows the very angry people who got caught on the other side of the road blocks.

Charred remains of a private bus that was set on fire during the protest.