The Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University in Hyderabad must be renamed to Gaddar Telugu University, in honour of the late revolutionary bard, stated a petition submitted to the Government of Telangana.
Leaders from various Left and Ambedkarite student groups submitted this petition to Jupalli Krishnarao, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture, Telangana, at his residence today, February 3.
In the petition, the leaders demanded that the government mark the poet’s birth anniversary as Gaddar Jayanti, a special occasion, and allocate 1,076 square yards of land in the Tellapur area for the university.
They also demanded that the government establish a Literary Centre at Osmania University, dedicated to researching and studying the songs of Gaddar. Noting how Gaddar mobilised people against social inequality, exploitation, and oppression, his contributions to the Telangana Movement for separate statehood, and his fight for the people of the state through his songs, the student unions emphasise the need to recognise his contributions to Telangana and study his work further.
In addition, the student leaders also expressed their happiness with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s announcements of naming a district in Telangana after the poet, and erecting his statue on Tank Bund, along the Hussein Sagar.
According to a press note from Satya Nelli, General Secretary of the All India Students’ Federation at Osmania University, who was also a part of the delegation that met the Minister, the demands were met with a positive response. The minister promised to take this up at the Cabinet Meeting that would happen tomorrow, February 4.
The leaders also reiterated their long-standing demand to reduce the PhD fees at Osmania University, adding that this demand was already put forward to Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka when he was the Leader of Opposition in the Telangana Assembly.
They were informed that this was brought to the attention of both the chief minister and the deputy chief minister and that the government is working to lower the fees.
