Chepauk crowd shows solidarity with Anitha S

The India vs Australia first ODI was hosted at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. At the halfway stage, the match was interrupted by rain and didn’t resume until 3 half hours after the scheduled start of play. But as the clock struck 8, the fans at the Chepauk put out their mobile phones with the flashlights turned on.

It was not just another day when the fans flash the lights but it was a pre-planned move. Chennai has been in news since an aspiring doctor Anitha S committed suicide after the Supreme Court made the NEET as the only basis for medical admissions. The SC upheld the decision that the scores in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) will determine the admissions and not the other tests.

A photo was circulated on WhatsApp which read ‘Chepauk mobile flashlights 8:00 PM in solidarity with Doctor Anitha #Banneet’ and the crowd obliged to the request.

Details of the matter

Anitha who was from a very humble background secured just 86 marks out of 700 in the NEET whereas she had an overwhelming score in the state government held exam. With this NEET score she wouldn’t secure an admission and thus fought against NEET in the Madras High Court but after the Supreme Court verdict, she hung herself at her residence.

There have been constant protests in Chennai since the 17-year-old’s death. Her lawyer P.B. Suresh Babu, told the media that she had scored 196.75 for medical cut-off and 199.75 for engineering cut-off, whereas her plus 2 score was 1,176 marks out of 1,200.

Actor Kamal Hasan and superstar Rajinikanth were both saddened by the incident. “We need to ensure that no student should take such drastic step in the future. This is not the end. We will fight and win. We have to make our argument louder in court,” Haasan told reporters on Friday.

Rajinikanth tweeted: “What has happened to Anitha is extremely unfortunate. My heart goes out to all the pain and agony she would have undergone before taking this drastic step. My condolences to her family.”