Chennai, Leaders of various political
parties on Saturday expressed dismay over the suicide
of young girl in Madurai over fears of facing NEET exam
and slammed the Centre for its ‘adamant’ attitude to hold
the exams. As the suicide of Jyothi Sridurga–the second such
incident in four days in the State–sent shock waves
across the State, political parties wanted the Centre
to at least scrap the NEET exams in the State of
Tamil Nadu to prevent further loss of lives.
Deputy Chief Minister and Coordinator of the ruling
AIADMK O Paneerselvam in a tweet said he was
pained to see that students, who are the future pillars,
resorting to such extreme steps.
”Students should develop will power to face any
challenges in life and the parents should support
them”, he said.
He also expressed shock and grief over the death
of Madurai girl and offered his heartfelt condolences
to the bereaved family members.
School Education Minister K A Sengottaiyan said
the policy of the State government was that it was
against the NEET exams.
Expressing shock over the suicide of Jyothi Durga,
Opposition DMK President M K Stalin said the audio
left behind by her in which she said that she was
scared about NEET exams as all of them expected
high of her, showed the ugly face of NEET exam.
”Right from Anitha (the first NEET victim in Tamil
Nadu) to Jyothi Durga, one can feel how one exam
is breaking the hearts of the student community”,
he said, in a tweet.
Mr Stalin also reiterated that NEET was not at all
an exam and that suicide was not the solution.
Terming the deaths due to NEET as not suicide but
‘murders’ committed joinyly by the Centre and the
State government, DMK Lok Sabha MP Ms Kanimozhi,
said suicide by students preparing for NEET has
become an never ending story in the state. ”How many lives are we going to lose”, she said
in a tweet, while referring to the suicides of two
students in Theni and Ulundurpet last week unable
to cope with the online classes and another aspirant
Vignesh of Ariyalur ending his life four days back
due to mental stress and fear over NEET exam.
PMK Founder Dr S Ramadoss, whose party is an ally
of the AIADMK, condoled the death of Jyothi durga,
and said only if the Opposition to NEET exams turns
into a people’s movement, a solution could be found
to this impasse. Urging the Centre to come forward to at least scrap
the exams in Tamil Nadu alone, Dr Ramadoss, in a
statement here, said the day was not far off for
the people to revolt against the NEET exams. Stating that Jyothi’s suicide could not taken as yet another death, he also said that those who
deliberately imposed NEET should own moral
responsbility for the death. Expressing shock, MDMK General Secretary Vaiko . said only if NEET was abolished, social justice would
be ensure. ”Since the Centre is adamant on holding NEET, don’t
know how many more lives are going to be lost because
of it”, he bemoaned. AMMK Deputy General Secretary TTV Dhinakaran said
the fear of NEET has claimed one more life. ”Don’t know
how long this tragedy is going to continue.”