Walking in the University Campus

I had read of the proposal to construct homes in the Osmania University Campus but for some strange reason it did not hit me till I talked of it over phone with a friend; that it would take a part of the campus away. After I put the phone away I wondered on how the campus has – since more than a year – been an integral part of my life in Secunderabad. Silly enough, for a while after I moved to Hyderabad was not aware to staying so near to the campus.

The Campus.

More than a year of walking and I continue to discover fresh-for-me paths, small temples, neat dargahs and more in the campus. This week’s addition has been the Deer Park. (A case report in Zoos Print published during 1999 says that 10 deer were introduced in the 24 hectare demarcated area in 1990 and during 1999 the deer population was 90+). It today lies abandoned. New buildings slowly raise their presence amidst existing brilliant architecture and houses – many of which lie uncared for. Open spaces, some of them sports grounds, are sprinkled all over the campus. Many of these have people engaged in badminton, volleyball, cricket and basketball. Lack of structure and design in the manner with which people engage here takes me many a time back to days when sports also mean fun time with friends. Then there are tea-stalls. Few months back I had described, in length with details the tea-stalls, to a friend who had just remarked, ‘Oh JNU type’. Once in a blue moon I have tea at one of these. Last time I sat on stones with a small glass in hand and watched the ground nearby smattered with small, tender and happy yellow gifts from those standing tall and silent.

This is from my notes during the initial days. ‘The openness campus presents as if seeps in my being and occupies that space that thoughts otherwise would have. I, as if, walk lighter in open spaces and this campus helps. The trees and rocks have in their own way Indianized the campus and such beauty they bring out as they sit, stand and lie along with each other. For whatever reason they have not been managed (read interfered with) I am glad and wish for the reasons to have a very very long life.’

Arts College.

The first time I saw the Arts College I went into a stunned silence. The only parallel I could then draw of the feel on gets at the open space abutting the magnificent structure was with the lawns around India Gate. Was fun coming across its model some months later at the Purani Haveli. It is here I have come across agitations including those by EFLU students (they have a separate campus), had candy ice-creams, seen family outings during weekends, hawkers roasting and selling maize and peanuts, people studying and friends doing nothing in particular other than being together. Not far is one of the most stunning of post offices I have come across.

I recalled reading of the Campus being large and this being one of the lovely large University Campuses we have. While I have not yet been to Aligarh Muslim University and have only managed unsatisfactory glimpses of Jawaharlal Nehru University and Banaras Hindu University, I recall my cycling and walking in the Maharaja Sayajirao University with fondness.

Birds.

Grey Hornbills and Indian Peafowls I come across frequently and in pleasantly surprising numbers. Indian Peafowls frequent the rocks leaving their marks as well and are often heard. Grey Hornbills I first saw on an electricity pole – 3 of them atop a tall pole which supported 5 lights in a circular design. Another memory which stands out is of them flying at eye-height in the Landscape Garden. As I talked with 2 friends, who know much more of birds in the region than me, I was told Indian Peafowls have increased in numbers recently with reasons unknown while the Grey Hornbills seemed to have found sanctuary in the large trees the Campus houses. They earlier had their homes in large trees on the then outskirts of the city which gave way to ‘development’. Of course there are Coucals and Grey Francolins in large numbers. While the Coucal family I saw often during Mizoram days the Campus has provided pleasing sightings of the Grey Francolins. Am today familiar with patches they frequent and when have a ‘mood’ to hear that rustle in the bushes walk towards these patches. Babblers, Rose Ringed Parakeets, Asian Koels, Black Kites and others too provide company as I walk.

Landscape Garden.

This is perhaps the only place I have come across a board which says ‘Learning and teaching driving two and four wheelers is prohibited’. And of course, like in other places where there is no penalty attached to bans, people take up prohibited action unabashedly. Interestingly the Landscape Garden too prohibits ‘out-siders’ and I wonder why every other time I go for exercise there! Is it as a number of students from hostels nearby come to study in the shades – during most months of the year? A fascinating feature of this studying is chairs; some students come with their chairs and some chairs I have come across secured to trees with help of chain and locks. I have also heard conversations of students passing / selling these on to other students. In days when people buy stuff when they are happy and also when they are sad it was an interesting conversation to incidentally land upon.

Plastic and trash.

I have never found a satisfactory answer to the question as to why so much plastic trash lies all around (most parts used by people) the Campus. The level of cleanliness takes a major plunge Southwards around select festivals. To add to this select spaces like the seating at the sports stadium are messed up with broken beer bottles. A friend and his young one had accompanied one evening and the younger fellow kept on asking us why people have left this so dirty? Don’t we have dustbins here? I often wonder: People whose energies played a role in carving out a fresh state are not affected by plastic and trash all around in the very place associated with the new state? At times I wish there could be a cleaning exercise on days like environment days and wildlife week we celebrate and on others wish some of us resorted to arson frequently and burnt a lot of what we came across!

Tomorrow

Can the campus be promoted as a space to meet, to walk, to hold talks, book readings, book releases and plays in the open. To appreciate (and study) plants, architecture, rocks, trees, birds amidst them – as opposed to destroying them and then studying their lifeless software models. All this and more could help generate positive energies and be undertaken along with the regular academics. Walks around these themes would be fun. A place without brands looming loudly from the top and wi-fi engulfing us, a place the city is proud of and one which is not in a rush to get developed and as a corollary be no-where. Above all a place to meet friends, chat on serious nothings and catch up without a reason.

Surely there are better options of using the place than building homes. While housing is a need we possibly could look at spaces outside these ‘Living Heritages’. A Times of India report in 2010 states ‘The once vast expanse of Osmania University was spread over 2,032 acres when it was established in 1918. It now stands at almost half that size with just a little over 1,100 acres on its name’. We surely need to save what remains.

Tomorrow, I look forward to yet another evening walking amidst the rocks and openness, caressing the tree trunks, talking to myself and taking in the silences. And yes the ever selfish me also hopes for rains to join in the fun.