Objecting to certain remarks made by the Union government and Union Ministers on Indian students pursuing medical courses and stranded in Ukraine, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday urged the Centre to desist from making such comments and instead come forward to fulfill its duty to rescue all the students. In a statement, Mr. Stalin referred to the comments by the Union government, some Union Ministers and the remarks in the social media supportive of the Centre and said, “This is not the time for propaganda or advertising. This is the time to save the lives and future of students. Let me remind [you] that this is a crucial time to give them hope and bring them home.” Mr. Stalin said it was the “duty of the Prime Minister to warn Union Minister” and those in the social media against making comments belittling and insulting parents, who could not afford medical education for their children and chose to send their students abroad by selling their properties and using their life savings.
He also posted in the social media, “Saddened by the news coming from Ukraine that our students have been left to their own devices at this critical hour. While students face war attacks and hostile borders, the Union Government should stop blaming students & focus on evacuating them to safety.”
"It is the responsibility of the Indian Government to safeguard the life of every Indian passport-holder. PMO India should reign in their Ministers from issuing unwarranted statements and put in their efforts for evacuating every Indian safely," he said.
In his statement, Mr. Stalin condoled the death of Naveen Shekarappa from Karnataka, who had secured 97% marks in Class 12 but could not pursue medical education in India “due to NEET”. The DMK had been struggling for scrapping NEET so that medical education was within the reach of the poor, he said. Referring to former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s comments against NEET, Mr. Stalin said such comments were being made in other States, too. “We have been expressing ourselves against NEET not only for students in Tamil Nadu but for those across the country.” Recalling the steps being taken by the DMK government, including the adoption of two Bills in the Assembly against NEET, Mr. Stalin contended that the situation in which Indian students were caught in Ukraine was only a reminder of the objective of those Bills. “While the DMK and the Tamil Nadu government have been struggling against NEET and [want to] undertake admission to medical education based on Class 12 marks, the Ukraine situation has given a strong reason for scrapping NEET,” he said. Reiterating this was not the time to question why students went to smaller countries like Ukraine for pursuing medical education, Mr. Stalin said the immediate goal was to rescue the students and to scrap NEET, “which prevented them from pursuing medical education within the country”. “The goal is not far. Let us struggle and win,” he added.
