Students of Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) on Tuesday staged a protest against the Telangana Government’s recent show-cause notice proposing the resumption of 50 acres of land allotted to the university. The protest was organised under the banner of the MANUU Students Collective, with students terming the move an attack on public education and warning against what they described as the increasing treatment of universities as “land banks” rather than centres of learning.
Addressing the gathering, student leader Talha Mannan said the notice could not be seen as a routine administrative action. “This reflects a disturbing trend where public universities are being viewed primarily for the land they occupy. We have already witnessed attempts to take away land belonging to the University of Hyderabad, and MANUU students will not allow the same to happen here,” he said.
Mannan argued that the land belongs to the academic community and future generations of students, not to what he called “shifting state priorities”. He also rejected the government’s argument of non-utilisation of land, saying delays in development were largely due to bureaucratic hurdles, lack of timely funding, and dependence on central agencies such as the Central Public Works Department (CPWD). “Penalising universities for these structural problems is unjust and dishonest,” he added.
Former MANUU Students’ Union president Mateen Ashraf highlighted what he described as a contradiction between the government’s proposal and the pressing needs of students on campus. “MANUU is already facing an acute hostel shortage. Hundreds of students, particularly from marginalised and minority backgrounds, are struggling to find accommodation. Instead of supporting expansion, the state wants to take away land meant for building hostels, libraries and academic infrastructure,” he said.
The protesting students also called upon the MANUU administration to treat the notice as a wake-up call and to initiate visible steps towards infrastructure development, especially the construction of hostels. According to the students, such measures would counter the state’s claim that the land remains unused.
Former University of Hyderabad Students’ Union president Ateeq Ahmad also joined the protest and expressed solidarity with MANUU students, drawing parallels with similar disputes over university land elsewhere in the state.
