Leaders of various political parties in the State offered their condolences to the family of NEET-aspirant M. Jothi Sri Durga from Madurai, who died by suicide on Saturday.
Reacting to her death, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Saturday said he was deeply pained, and added that the trend of students taking their lives was worrisome. “While there are numerous ways to win in life, students should develop confidence and work hard for it,” he said.
DMK president M.K. Stalin said that all students who were not able to join medical courses because of NEET would be given an opportunity to study medicine once the DMK was elected to power.
“The DMK, following the footsteps of our leader Kalaignar, will come to power in eight months, and we will cancel NEET. It will make arrangements for students, who could not join medical colleges because of NEET, to study medicine. They will be given seats based on the marks scored by them in Plus Two examinations,” Mr. Stalin said in a statement.
He said this would be achieved either by increasing seats in existing medical colleges or by opening new ones. “The DMK government will use its power and legal means to fulfil the dreams of students stymied by NEET,” he said.
“One can see how NEET has demoralised students, from Anitha to Jothi Sri Durga. Suicide is not a solution,” he said. He called upon students not to take any extreme steps and wait for eight months.
‘Creating stress’
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi president Thol. Thirumavalavan urged students to resist taking such extreme steps in the face of adversity. “We urge the Central government to cancel NEET all over India. The idea of an all-India exam for medical admissions is creating a lot of mental stress and these deaths are testimony to it,” he said.
PMK founder S. Ramadoss said that NEET had claimed the life of yet another young student. “NEET was supposed to create doctors to save lives, but instead, it has destabilised the future pillars of society,” he said. He underlined that those who imposed NEET must take responsibility for her death.
Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan said it was everyone’s duty to build confidence and provide mental support to students in these times. He said: “What are we going to do to ensure that Jothi Sri Durga is the last victim of NEET? The Central and the State governments must think carefully and come up with an alternative way.”
Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran also said that NEET had taken yet another life. “I am unable to say words of comfort to the family of Jothi Sri Durga. For how long will this continue?” he asked.
