Chennai: Protests, hunger strike continue even after NEET resolution passed in Assembly

CHENNAI: Even days after the Tamil Nadu government adopted a special resolution against the medical entrance examination NEET, sustained protests across Chennai continue demanding that the exam be banned altogether.

In Tiruvottiyur, ex-IRS officer Balamurugan has been on a hunger strike for the past 19 days in Tiruvottiyur seeking abolition of NEET. While his health has been deteriorating, he has made it clear that he will continue to fast until his demand is met.

Late S Anitha's brother Manirathnam, who recently visited the officer, in a video demanded that the government take care of his health check-ups and provide a designated space for his protest. As the government did not provide an area, Balamurugan continues to protest from his home.

Manirathnam and the other members of the Anti-NEET Federation-Tamil Nadu had recently ended their 12-day hunger strike following the Assembly resolution, saying the government had responded to one of their key demands. Their demands had included bringing education back to the State List to enable states to decide their own admission policies, and eventually abolish NEET.

Meanwhile, in Egmore, the 'OG Tamizha' collective has been staging a continuous sit-in protest for the past 23 days at the Thayagam Complex on Rukmani Lakshmipathi Road in Egmore. The sit-in protest, held from 3 pm to 9 pm daily, has been bringing together students, educationists as well as activists daily.

The protestors have been reiterating that banning the exam altogether is the only way forward. "If Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar can give assent to the special anti-NEET resolution passed by the government recently, NEET would not continue in the State," they said in a video message. Notably, in 2024, the Tamil Nadu government led by then Chief Minister MK Stalin had passed the Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, which sought to exempt Tamil Nadu students from taking NEET. However, the Bill never received presidential assent.

Art has been the primary medium for the 'OG Tamizha' collective to express their resistance, with the protest site using music, theatre, dance, and other art forms to express dissent. "Let's celebrate resistance," reads one of their posters. Educationist Prince Gajendra Babu is among those who have extended their solidarity to the protestors.

Manirathnam had also visited the Egmore protest site, calling for statewide solidarity for the NEET ban demand. Members of Maniratnam's Anti-NEET Federation-Tamil Nadu had ended their hunger strike and the protest after the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed the resolution.

Recently, while moving the second resolution against NEET in the State Assembly, Health and Medical Education Minister KG Arunraj said medical education should be accessible not only to economically stronger sections but also to students with merit and dedication. The resolution stated that NEET had led to the proliferation of coaching centres charging exorbitant fees and had diverted students' attention from the school curriculum towards exam-oriented coaching. Arunraj also said that before the introduction of NEET, students from rural, poor and socially disadvantaged backgrounds were able to secure medical education opportunities. The introduction of NEET, he alleged, had adversely affected socio-economic equality in medical admissions.