Reporter's diary: Student leaves Stalin stunned & smiling

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin, much less pleasantly surprise him. But it happened at the city-based Bharathi Women’s College recently.

At a programme chaired by the CM, a student managed to get his attention and also astonish him. The programme was conducted to launch the ‘Puthumai Penn’ scheme, which provide monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 to all girl students who have studied in government schools and have opted for higher education. The scheme, which was earlier a marriage assistance scheme, was altered to higher education assurance, after Stalin took over the government.

While there was much criticism and opposition from political parties and even from women, a college student, who was one of the beneficiaries of the scheme justified it saying: “A marriage conducted spending several crores can fail but not the education which is obtained at a few thousands of rupees.”

Seeing her speak in favour of the scheme with a rational argument left Stalin stunned and smiling. Even Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy was seen with his signature grin.

Her opinion found kinship with other students of the college, as they welcomed it with thundering applause.