 "Anitha suicide: Fringe outfit demands scrapping of NEET as political slugfest begins in Tamil Nadu")
A day after Anitha, a 19-year-old Dalit student from Tamil Nadu, committed suicide after allegedly not getting admission into a medical college due to very low marks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), the Naam Tamilar Katchi on Saturday demanded the scrapping of the all-India medical entrance test, India Today reported. Naam Tamilar Katchi, a party led by Tamil nationalist Seeman, said that the Centre must not make NEET the sole criteria for admissions into medical colleges. The fringe Tamil nationalist outfit also said that rules regarding the medical entrance test must be relaxed for students belonging to the Tamil state education board, the report noted.
Chennai, Tamil Nadu: Naam Tamilar Katchi members pay tributes to #Anitha and stage protest over her death, demand scrapping of NEET. pic.twitter.com/uHweqxZbPz
— ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2017
Anitha had scored 1,176 marks out of 1,200 in the plus two exams under the Tamil Nadu state board, but could score only 76 out of 700 in NEET. The Dalit student was at the forefront of Tamil Nadu’s fight against the medical entrance test. The girl from Ariyalur district had also impleaded herself as a respondent in the NEET case in the Supreme Court, arguing that the entrance exam will shatter the dreams of several students from rural Tamil Nadu, The News Minute reported.
#Anitha managed to study in difficult circumstances. She was concerned about NEET. What wrong had she done,who will answer?: Anitha's father pic.twitter.com/7oibWB86Ie
— ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2017
In a late night statement on Friday, Chief Minister E Palaniswami announced a solatium of Rs 7,00,000 to the family of Anitha. He also promised a government job to a family member of Anitha in line with their educational qualification. Tamil Nadu health minister C Vijayabaskar told reporters that he was deeply pained by the death of the girl. Education minister C Sengottaiyan expressed grief and anguish and said steps were being taken to prepare students for any competitive exam. He said such instances must never be repeated. The case has now taken a political turn with major parties in the Dravidian heartland demanding an end to NEET. [caption id=“attachment_4000857” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Anitha. News18[/caption] In a statement issued, former Union minister and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss blamed the central and the state governments for the tragedy. Expressing his condolences to Anitha’s parents, he said the state government and the central government should accept responsibility for her death as they had initially assured that Tamil Nadu will get a one-year exemption from NEET. The PMK leader said he was not able to understand as to why Anita who took up the cause of rural students against NEET would commit suicide. DMK working president MK Stalin expressed concern over the death of the girl and called the government “inept”. “Students are the future of the nation and they should never attempt to do such things,” he said while asking the state government to own up responsibility for the death. Actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan
also condoled the death of the teenage girl. Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Haasan said, “We have lost a good doctor.” Haasan said those who should fight against NEET were indulging in horse trading, in a veiled reference to the divide in the ruling AIADMK. The actor also said those who were praising NEET have now vanished.
#RipAnitha pic.twitter.com/p5t507dLaQ
— Rajinikanth (@rajinikanth) September 1, 2017
VCK chief Thol Thirumavalan, a Dalit leader, expressed anguish at the death of the girl and said no student should attempt ending their lives as there were a lot of opportunities to pass examinations. After Anitha suicide, some student organisations held a protest in Chennai. However, police took the agitators into custody and later released them. The protests, nevertheless, continued on Saturday with activists of the Revolutionary Students and Youth Front (RSYF) and Student Federation of India (SFI) protesting against the suicide of the Dalit student.
Chennai: Protest by Revolutionary Students and Youth Front (RSYF) members over the death #Anithaa; Protesters detained by Police. pic.twitter.com/JKwA3vtrmn
— ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2017
Impact Shorts
More ShortsTamil Nadu: Students' Federation of India members protest at Chennai's Mount Road over death of #Anitha's who appealed against NEET in SC. pic.twitter.com/UrodJMpK6P
— ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2017
With inputs from agencies
