-> T.S. Venkatesan
DMK government’s writing letter to Central government seeking its nod to send a team from Tamil Nadu to rescue students from Tamil Nadu is purely an attention grabbing, highly improbable and only to show as champions of Tamil cause. Also injecting his avowed anti-NEET stand.
The Mod- led NDA government has been doing its best to evacuate the students mostly medical and engineering from the war torn Ukraine soil through diplomatic channels and PM’s personal rapport with the leaders of Russian, Poland, Romania and Ukraine. All agreed to help India with the special bonding they have. Not only IAF, Air India and private flights are being pressing into this assignment code named operation Ganga. Instead of aligning with the Central government, states like Tamil Nadu and non-bjp ruled ones are finding fault with the operation. Some students are grumbling for poor arrangements, like no food, no last mile transport etc on seeing the mikes protruded by media. A social media post rightly described “India also evacuated a few dogs from Ukraine, which started barking when landing on Indian soil and at the sight of media. Shameless!”.
TN Chief Minister M K Stalin after charring a review meet on the evacuation of Tamil students from Ukraine, has shot a letter on March 3rd to External Affairs Minister S Jaisankar. In it he said more than 1,000 Tamil students are waiting in camps in Romania, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia and TN wants to send a group consisting of 3 MPs, one MLA and four IAS officers to these countries to give focused intervention at the ground level. Stalin said so far only 2,223 students have been shared with the MEA and the Indian embassy in Ukraine for early evacuation. He also thanked the minister for appointing an exclusive nodal officer following his request on Feb.28 to coordinate with TN.
“CM and his bureaucrats needs to be coached. It is the prerogative of the Centre to decide how to evacuate people stranded in alien soils. It can go through this operation with External affairs ministry, the embassies in foreign countries. If DMK’s demand is accepted then all the states will jump the bandwagon. Russia as wel neighbouring nations want to help us. Ukraine sees as long as Indian students are holed up in its soil, it will give a shield. In a war field how can the TM team identify Tamils alone?” asks Murali.
On 2nd March, Stalin has belittled Centre’s rescue efforts saying that this isn’t the time to do propaganda or to advertise. He said “This is not the time for propaganda or advertising and future of students. (note DMK tried to take credit when students reach Chennai). Let me remind you (PM) that this is a crucial time to give them hope and bring them home”. While condoling the death of Karnataka student Naveen Shekaraapa, Stalin, peddling his usual political and anti-NEET agenda, said he had scored 97 percent in Class XII but could not get pursue medical education in India “ due to NEET. He also referred former CM HD Kumaraswamy, Siddharamaiah and DK Sivakuar’s remarks to show more voices against NEET”. Stalin said “We have been opposing NEET not only for the benefit of TN students but for those across the country”.
The deceased student Naveen’s father had said that it was due caste-based reservation that his son went to study in Ukraine as he could not get seat despite scoring 97%. It is undisputable fact that studying medicine in India is an expensive affair but it is because of politicians running education institutions which charges heavy capitation fee.
“While the DMK and the Tamil Nadu govt. have been struggling against NEET and (want to) undertake admission to medical courses based on plus 2 marks , the Ukraine situation has given a strong reason for scrapping NEET”. However, it is pertinent to note that many universities in Ukraine do consider qualifying NEET as an eligibility criteria for admissions. It is for the readers to decide who is doing politics over the death and in a critical hour.