The indefinite hunger strike demanding the abolition of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) continued for its tenth consecutive day at Thiruvallur Illam in Koyambedu, Chennai. According to thehindu.com, the protesters are urging the State government to pass a Bill exempting Tamil Nadu from the medical entrance exam.
Anti-NEET Hunger Strike Enters Tenth Day in Chennai
The demonstration is led by the Anti-NEET Federation in Tamil Nadu, headed by S.A. Manirathnam, the brother of S. Anitha, a medical aspirant who died by suicide in September 2017 after failing to secure a competitive rank under the mandatory exam. Initially, four individuals—Dhanasekhar, Jeeva, Puliyanthopp Mohan, and Ravi—began the indefinite hunger strike, as reported by thenewsminute.com. One of the participants, Ravi, was previously hospitalized after coughing up blood and subsequently withdrew from the fast, leaving three members continuing the hunger strike, according to The New Indian Express.
Core Demands and Government Talks
The protest follows earlier demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in Delhi organized by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). While the CJP halted its protest following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the Ban NEET Movement in Tamil Nadu maintained that the solution is a complete ban rather than a fair NEET.
The federation’s key demands include: * A complete ban on NEET and a State government-passed Bill or Assembly resolution seeking exam exemption. * Freedom for states to evaluate medical college admissions based on Plus Two (Class 12) marks. * The transfer of education from the Concurrent list to the State list. * Allocation of a public venue to continue peaceful demonstrations against the Union government.
Health Minister KG Arunraj held talks with the protesters and urged them to withdraw the fast, offering assurances that the government would pass a resolution against NEET in the Assembly, though he requested an additional ten days to do so. The protesters rejected the timeline, stating they would call off the strike if the resolution is passed within two or three days. Protesters also cited a lack of substantive action following a prior visit by School Education Minister Rajmohan, noting that police cases against NEET protesters remain active and requests for a public protest location have been denied.
Solidarity and Broader Opposition to NEET
On Monday, Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Dipke expressed solidarity with the fasting federation members during a video call, noting his inability to visit in person due to ill health. Manirathnam additionally stated that Aishe Ghosh, national joint secretary of the Students’ Federation of India, is expected to join the protest on August 20.
Human rights activist Thirumurgan Gandhi and former legislator CK Tamilarasan also visited the site to voice support. Critics of the examination argue that NEET heavily favors the CBSE syllabus over State Board curricula, places an undue financial burden on students requiring years of coaching, and undermines federalism by stripping states of control over their educational institutions.
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