It's usual: MoS L Murugan on students' suicides

CHENNAI: Taking a dig at the ruling DMK, the Union Minister of State L Murugan on Sunday said that the DMK’s one-day hunger strike against NEET is to deceive the people of Tamil Nadu.

“DMK is fasting to deceive the people of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu has topped the NEET results in India. It was the Congress-led UPA government that introduced NEET. DMK was also a part of the coalition government at that time. But today, DMK is diverting students in the name of fasting to question their lives. DMK should not engage in politics that diverts students,” Murugan told reporters in Tiruvallur.

Further, MoS L Murugan said that the student’s suicide is a usual thing.

“Students committing suicide after the declaration of Class X and Class XII board examination results has been a regular occurrence for many years. Depending on the context, students make some wrong decisions. Without politicising it, it is the government's duty to provide counselling and proper training to prepare them for NEET. It was NEET that paved the way for joining medical colleges in foreign countries. NEET is the reason why tribal people and underprivileged students join medical courses today. With the 7.5 per cent reservation for government school students brought in by the previous AIADMK regime, more rural students have enrolled in medical courses. It was the Modi government that provided 11 medical colleges to Tamil Nadu,” added L Murugan.

Subsequently, BJP Mahila Morcha National president Vanathi Srinivasan appealed to the DMK that in the name of a hunger strike, they should not play with the future and lives of students who are the wealth of the country for cheap politics.

“People in power calling on the public to protest is an act that disturbs social peace. It is the minister who incites the public. This is highly condemnable. Our students will achieve this if we establish basic structures in government schools, adapt the curriculum according to time, and provide training in the schools themselves. But the fear of NEET is being instilled, which is causing stress to the students. There are a thousand things to do in politics. In the name of a hunger strike, don't play with the future and lives of students who are the wealth of the country for cheap politics. When the DMK’s first generation led the anti-Hindi movement, it was the third generation that took up the anti-NEET campaign. In the anti-Hindi movement, students were also made victims. The same is happening now,” she added.