Corona has changed our word and turned it topsy turvy. Will it ever be the same again. I am not sure. Today, as I went around the campus on my regular routine, a feeling of sadness enveloped me. I have never seen our campus so deserted and lonely and devoid of life. After all what is a campus without the hum and noise of the students in the library, in the class room, canteen at the Gop’s, the tea stall and in the corridors. The buzz of the faculty and the non-teaching staff is also totally absent. Today it just looks a wild place with hardly any one around. Earlier we had to struggle to get a parking place but today, I had the luxury of parking my car where ever I felt like. I had joined the University in 1984 and saw the campus for the first time in February, 1984, when I came in for an Interview. It looked huge, almost a jungle away from civilization and the madenning crowd and today also we call the other part of Hyderabad outside our campus as City. There were just trees, trees and more trees and a wide expanse before me,an expanse that spread over 2800 acres at that time. Over the years one fell in love with the campus, its greenery and the wild flora and fauna.I saw so many buildings coming up and the University growing in stature on one hand and the Government taking away our land and giving 185 acres to IIIT and 225 acres to the Sports Village. Today, I had to do some running around the administrative building to submit the exam question papers. Every nook and corner wore a sad and deserted look. Only Rizwan Ahmad my Ph.D student and Prasad and Kotiah from the Centre were there for Company. I just could not help but hum these beautiful lines lines which are very close to my heart, from the film, Umrao Jaan (1981) Yeh Kya Jagah Hai Doston, and though in a different context, I could see a lot of similarity. This song reminds one of the loss, the happiness, sadness and the uppermost feeling is of confusion. I only hope and pray that we and our University is back to normal soon and all this is behind us.
Yeh kyaa jagah hai doston?
Yeh kaunsaa dayaar hai?
Had-e-nigaah tak jahaan, ghubaar hii ghubaar hai
Yeh kis maqaam par hayaat mujhko lekii aa gayii?
Na bas khushii pe hai jahaan,
na gham pe ikhtiyaar hai
What place is this, friends?
What kind of world is this?
Where, as far as the eye can see, there are only dust storms.
To what realm has life brought me?
In this place I have no control over my happiness, and no choice in my sorrow.
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