‘‘NEET has spelt doom for students of all segments. All of us should unite in the fight against NEET and take it forward as a people’s movement,’’ Mr Udhayanidhi said as members thumped desks acknowledging his view.
The entire house keenly tuned in when first time MLA Udhyanidhi Stalin rose up for his maiden address in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. He began his speech in the debate on the State budget after paying respects to Dravidian stalwarts – Thanthai Periyar (Rationalist Leader Periyar E V Ramasamy), Perarignar Anna (DMK Founder leader and former Chief Minister C N Annadurai) and Muthamizharignar Kalaignar (DMK President and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi).
Making a forceful argument for the abolition of NEET, the contentious National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for admission to Medical courses, he said “NEET is one of the pressing issues in the state. The whole of Tamil Nadu felt there should be no NEET in the state. The DMK promised to abolish NEET on coming to power. As the DMK government completed 100 days in office, people wondered what happened to its poll promise against the national entrance examinations.”
“NEET has spelt doom for students of all segments and all of us should unite in the fight against NEET and take it forward as a people’s movement,” Mr Udhayanidhi said as members thumped desks acknowledging his view.
Listing the names of 14 medical aspirants who ended their lives by suicide after failing to crack NEET in the recent years in the state, he said the Government should fulfil its promise to abolish NEET. He also urged the state to name the government medical college coming up at Ariyalur district after Anitha, a student from the district, who ended her life after making a vain bid to gain admission to MBBS course. Udhayananidhi, who himself led agitations against NEET as youth wing leader, also wanted the government to withdraw cases filed against those who had staged protests against NEET by the previous AIADMK regime.
Responding to his pleas, Chief Minister M K Stalin said the government will peruse the Tamil Nadu from NEET) in the ongoing Budget session itself
“Our position is that all of us should unite against NEET, cutting across our respective political lines. There is no change in that. We gave assurance to the people based on that. We assured them of an exemption from NEET, which is our motive. We had promised to take action over it,” the Chief Minister said.
The house witnessed some lighter moments when Mr Udhyanidhi recalled his campaign during the Assembly elections when he questioned why the BJP-led Union government had not established an AIIMS near Madurai, years after announcing it.
At his election rallies, the opposition AIADMK and its ally, the BJP were on the defensive when Udayanidhi showed up a brick with AIIMS written on it to take potshots at the two parties. “Three years ago, the AIADMK and the BJP had claimed they had brought the prestigious AIIMS in Madurai and this is the AIIMS,” he had said in the campaign, displaying the brick, drawing huge cheers from the crowd. After the DMK’s victory, he presented the ‘AIIMS brick’ as a gift to his father M.K. Stalin.
An anti-NEET campaign in Bihar has taken a leaf from his campaign style, he told the Assembly. In Bihar, they are now showing a brick to ask where is the Bihar AIIMS promised by the Union government, he said amid peels of laughter.
