Chennai: A 21-year-old medical aspirant died of alleged suicide on Saturday, apparently 'apprehensive' over the National Entrance cum Eligibility. The deceased, identified as Mothilal, a resident of Namakkal district, was found hanging at his residence. Initial inquiries revealed that Mothilal was stressed and had fear of failure, which prompted him to take this extreme step. This is the third such case reported in the state in the last 24 hours.
Earlier in the day, two medical students Aditya and Jothisri allegedly ended their lives over 'fear' and 'stress' of NEET exam. Aditya was found hanging at his house and preliminary investigation revealed that the was worried about the exam, which prompted him to take this extreme step
Jothisri Durga, daughter of a police Sub-Inspector, was found hanging at her residence and a purported suicide note left behind by her said she was 'apprehensive' about NEET though others had high 'hopes' on her, police said.
The deaths, which comes days after another medical aspirant in Ariyalur in the state also allegedly committed suicide, drew sharp responses from Tamil Nadu political
parties opposed to NEET, even as Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam of the ruling AIADMK expressed shock over the incident.
DMK President M K Stalin said NEET 'is not an exam at all'. Taking to Twitter, Palaniswami expressed grief over the 'sad' incident and said students have many avenues to taste success and resorting to such extreme steps was distressing. "It is distressing to see students, the hope for the future, taking such steps," he said.
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மாணவர்களே, தைரியமாக இருங்கள்! உங்களுக்காக நாங்கள் இருக்கிறோம்!
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) September 12, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
திமுக ஆட்சியில் #NEET ரத்து செய்யப்படும். வாய்ப்பை இழந்தவர்களுக்கு பொதுத்தேர்வு அடிப்படையில் மருத்துவம் படிக்க வாய்ப்பு உருவாக்கப்படும்.
எந்தப் போராட்டத்தையும் திமுக அரசு மேற்கொள்ளும்; இது உறுதி! #LetterToBrethren pic.twitter.com/GArjbRClDH
">மாணவர்களே, தைரியமாக இருங்கள்! உங்களுக்காக நாங்கள் இருக்கிறோம்!
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) September 12, 2020
திமுக ஆட்சியில் #NEET ரத்து செய்யப்படும். வாய்ப்பை இழந்தவர்களுக்கு பொதுத்தேர்வு அடிப்படையில் மருத்துவம் படிக்க வாய்ப்பு உருவாக்கப்படும்.
எந்தப் போராட்டத்தையும் திமுக அரசு மேற்கொள்ளும்; இது உறுதி! #LetterToBrethren pic.twitter.com/GArjbRClDHமாணவர்களே, தைரியமாக இருங்கள்! உங்களுக்காக நாங்கள் இருக்கிறோம்!
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) September 12, 2020
திமுக ஆட்சியில் #NEET ரத்து செய்யப்படும். வாய்ப்பை இழந்தவர்களுக்கு பொதுத்தேர்வு அடிப்படையில் மருத்துவம் படிக்க வாய்ப்பு உருவாக்கப்படும்.
எந்தப் போராட்டத்தையும் திமுக அரசு மேற்கொள்ளும்; இது உறுதி! #LetterToBrethren pic.twitter.com/GArjbRClDH
Condoling the girl's death, he expressed his sympathies with the family. In a tweet, Panneerselvam expressed grief over such incidents concerning the students, who are the "pillars of the future."
"Students should learn to face any situation with guts and parents should aid them in this," the deputy CM, also the AIADMK Coordinator, said. State Revenue Minister R B Udhayakumar visited the family and consoled them. Stalin, Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, expressed shock over the alleged suicide but said killing oneself was not the solution.
"We can realise from the death of Anitha (a medical aspirant who died of suicide in 2017) to Jothisri Durga that NEET is severely affecting students," he said in a tweet. "I repeat, suicide is not a solution; NEET is not an exam at all. #BanNeet_SaveTNStudents," he added.
In a separate statement, he appealed to students not to resort to such extreme steps, asserting that success has to be achieved through struggle. Training his guns on the Centre and the state government, he said: "the student community is falling prey to the fire called NEET fuelled by them."
READ: NEET tomorrow amid strict COVID-19 precautions
Assuring his party's support to the students on the issue, he said the DMK was prepared to take forward any legal or political struggle against NEET.
Meanwhile, DMK Youth Wing Secretary and Stalin's son, Udhayanidhi visited the family and provided an assistance of Rs five lakh.
PMK MP Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, whose party is an NDA constituent condoled the student's death and expressed his sympathies with her family.
"#SayNoToNEET #BanNEET," the PMK Youth Wing leader tweeted. His father and party founder Dr S Ramadoss also called for scrapping the exam.
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நீட் தேர்வு குறித்த அச்சத்தால் மதுரை மாணவி ஜோதிஸ்ரீ துர்கா தற்கொலை செய்து கொண்டார் என்ற செய்தி வேதனையளிக்கிறது. அவரை இழந்து வாடும் குடும்பத்தினருக்கும் எனது ஆழ்ந்த இரங்கலையும், அனுதாபத்தையும் தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறேன்#SayNoToNEET #BanNEET
— Dr ANBUMANI RAMADOSS (@draramadoss) September 12, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">நீட் தேர்வு குறித்த அச்சத்தால் மதுரை மாணவி ஜோதிஸ்ரீ துர்கா தற்கொலை செய்து கொண்டார் என்ற செய்தி வேதனையளிக்கிறது. அவரை இழந்து வாடும் குடும்பத்தினருக்கும் எனது ஆழ்ந்த இரங்கலையும், அனுதாபத்தையும் தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறேன்#SayNoToNEET #BanNEET
— Dr ANBUMANI RAMADOSS (@draramadoss) September 12, 2020நீட் தேர்வு குறித்த அச்சத்தால் மதுரை மாணவி ஜோதிஸ்ரீ துர்கா தற்கொலை செய்து கொண்டார் என்ற செய்தி வேதனையளிக்கிறது. அவரை இழந்து வாடும் குடும்பத்தினருக்கும் எனது ஆழ்ந்த இரங்கலையும், அனுதாபத்தையும் தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறேன்#SayNoToNEET #BanNEET
— Dr ANBUMANI RAMADOSS (@draramadoss) September 12, 2020
MDMK founder and Rajya Sabha MP Vaiko slammed the BJP-led Centre, saying suicides of students in the state was happening due to the "imposition" of NEET on them. Recalling various instances of suicides by students in Tamil Nadu, including that of Anitha, which had sparked an outrage in the state, Vaiko alleged that despite their high-class XII scores, students from the poorer sections were 'filtered' in NEET and their medical dreams 'destroyed.'
"Cancellation of NEET alone can prevent such deaths," he said in a statement.
Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader and independent legislator, T T V Dhinakaran and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan also expressed anguish over Durga's death. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain a batch of pleas seeking deferment or cancellation of NEET scheduled for Sunday.
A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan had said that authorities will take all necessary steps for conducting the NEET-undergraduate exam amid the COVID-19 pandemic for admission in medical courses.
READ: Tamil Nadu teenager ends life ahead of NEET test
PTI
