Judge Seeks Contempt Proceedings Against Actor Suriya Over NEET Statement

Justice SM Subramaniam, a judge of the Madras High Court, has written to the Chief Justice seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against actor Suriya. This is in connection with a statement that the Actor Suriya had released on his social media handles pertaining to students ending their lives owing to fear ahead of the NEET exam and the need to voice out against NEET.

In a statement in Tamil, Actor Suriya had expressed grief over the separate instances where three students from humble backgrounds had ended their lives due to fear and pressure ahead of the medical entrance test. The actor pointed out that it was painful that students are having to write exams to prove their eligibility at the time of a deadly pandemic.

“While fearing for their lives amid corona pandemic and delivering justice via video conferencing, the court orders students to go without fear and write the exams” read one of the lines in the actor’s statement. It is this line that had come to the attention of the judge, which led to him seeking initiation of contempt proceedings.

Actor Suriya said, “With the fear of life due to corona scare, court which dispenses justice via video-conferencing orders students to fearlessly go and take exams,” NDTV quoted.

In his letter to the Chief Justice, the judge mentioned that, “the statement reveals that the Hon’ble Judges are afraid of their own life and rendering justice through video conferencing. While so, they have no morale to pass orders directing the students to appear for NEET exam without fear”.

The judge opines that the statement amounts to contempt of court, as it questions the integrity and devotion of the judges and the judicial system of the country, to the extent of threatening the public confidence in the judiciary.

Actor Suriya’s statement urged society to raise a collective voice against NEET, which burns down the aspirations of children from humble backgrounds who wish to be doctors. He had also termed NEET as a ‘Manu Neethi test’, claiming that it denies students opportunities and also takes away their lives. Actor Suriya had also cautioned parents to and teachers to be alert and pay more attention to the education system which does not consider the welfare of students.

Opposition parties in the state led by the DMK slammed the BJP-led Centre over the NEET issue, even as the ruling AIADMK, also opposed to the exam, rued the deaths of the youngsters.

In 2017, Dalit student Anitha from Ariyalur had died by suicide after she failed to crack NEET, despite good scores in Class XII exam, prompting the state political parties to mount an offensive against the Centre and demand for cancelling the exam.

Student Durga’s death on Saturday morning drew sharp responses from Tamil Nadu political parties opposed to NEET, even as Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam of the ruling AIADMK expressed shock over the incident.

DMK President M K Stalin said NEET “is not an exam at all.“ “We can realise from the death of Anitha to Jothisri Durga that NEET is severely affecting students,” he said in a tweet.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain a batch of pleas seeking deferment or cancellation of NEET scheduled for Sunday. A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan had said authorities will take all necessary steps for conducting the NEET-undergraduate exam amid the COVID-19 pandemic for admission in medical courses.

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