Hyderabad: More than a year after the police stopped giving permission for activities at Dharna Chowk, the unofficial venue for protests in the city, opposition parties and civil society organizations are still left without a dedicated place to raise their voices in Hyderabad.

Those who have earlier held protests at the site also allege that the state government has done this to prevent people from voicing their opinion against it.

Dharna Chowk, as it is called, is a big empty strip adjacent to the road opposite Indira Park at Lower Tank Bund area, falling under the Hyderabad police’s west zone.

For two decades, members of various organizations have gathered at the site to voice their dissent on a plethora of issues before the police stopped giving permission to stage protests there. The last activity at the place was the “Occupy Dharna Chowk" programme held by various organizations and opposition parties to demand that it be accessible again.

The semblance of a protest area is now gone, as the dais and tents from the area have also been removed. The area has turned into an ad-hoc parking space and a place for vendors.

“The government is saying that the space is obstructing traffic, but in reality, it doesn’t want people to raise their voice against it. For the last two decades, Dharna Chowk has been there. To raise our voice against its closure, we formed a committee, staged a month-long protest at the CPI (Communist Party of India) office, and then held the ‘Occupy Dharna Chowk’ programme," said Sajaya Kakarla, a social activist from the city.

Police officials had told her that they have instructions not to allow people to stage protests there in the absence of official orders, Kakarla said.

Hyderabad isn’t the only place which has such an issue. The National Green Tribunal, citing violation of environmental laws, last October banned all protests at the historic Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, which has been a hotspot for agitations over the past decades. However, other cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru continue to have dedicated spaces like the Azad Maidan and Freedom Park for the public to hold demonstrations.

West zone deputy commissioner of police M. Viswa Prasad did not want to comment on the issue. However, other senior police officials, who did not want to be named, said the decision has been taken as Dharna Chowk is close to the secretariat, assembly and other important places.

“People are being given permission to conduct protests at other places. It has become a problem here because of the traffic jam people were causing. Moreover, sometimes, people or organisations would camp there for days together, making it problematic for the local police," said a senior police official from the west zone police, who did not want to be named.

A major protest called by the Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) and students to protest against the state government for failing to provide jobs last February was also a reason behind the decision. The incident had brought the city to a standstill as many people who were trying to reach Dharna Chowk were detained.

Prof. M. Kodandaram, president, Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS), the political arm of the TJAC, however, said it was decided to use Dharna Chowk as a dedicated space for protests after consulting the police. He also rubbished the police’s claim that it was causing traffic jams or any sort of inconvenience to the public.

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