Updated: September 14, 2020 7:03:38 pm
Surya said it was painful that students were forced to prove their eligibility by writing a test “at a time when there was a threat to life due to the coronavirus pandemic.”
With three students taking their lives the day before Sunday NEET test, lead actor Suriya was among the who issued statements condemning the situation in Tamil Nadu for controversial contests. But parts of the popular Tamil actor’s statement have now caused a storm with a Madras High Court judge calling for contempt action and retired senior judges lining up in support of the star.
What did Suriya say in his statement about NEET?
Suriya’s statement had a part in which he blamed the Supreme Court for forcing students to write NEET in the middle of a pandemic. In his statement, the actor said that the three suicide deaths on Saturday, a day before the scheduled exam, due to the stress and anxiety of taking the exam in the middle of the pandemic, had “shaken his conscience.”
My heart goes out to the three families ..! I can’t imagine her pain .. !! pic.twitter.com/weLEuMwdWL
– Suriya Sivakumar (@Suriya_offl) September 13, 2020
Suriya said it was painful that students were forced to prove their eligibility by writing a test “at a time when there was a threat to life due to the coronavirus pandemic.”
While the first part of Suriya’s statement was primarily concerned with the insensitivity of prioritizing a national review in the midst of a pandemic, he also commented on more important systemic issues: “A government that was supposed to ensure equal opportunities for all presented a law with an educational system that creates inequality, “wrote the actor. He blamed educational policies in the country, saying they were formulated by people who had no idea of the basic realities of the poor and the oppressed.
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What offended the Madras High Court judge?
The statement had a part that referred to the judiciary: “The courts were delivering justice through video conferencing due to fears of life-threatening coronavirus (but) they are ordering students to go fearlessly and write exams.”
This offended Judge SM Subramaniam, who wrote to Chief Justice AP Sahi to initiate contempt proceedings against Suriya. Judge Subramaniam wrote that the statement affirms that “honorable judges fear for their own lives and do justice through videoconferencing. Meanwhile, they don’t have the morale to pass orders directing students to take the NEET test without fear. “
“Said declaration, in my considered opinion, amounts to contempt of the Court since the integrity and devotion of the Honored Judges as well as the Judicial System of our Great Nation are not only undermined but criticized in a bad way, where there is a threat to the public confidence in the Judiciary ”, said Judge Subramaniam’s letter to CJ Sahi, adding that the actor“ has committed contempt, justifying contempt proceedings to defend the Majesty of our Indian judicial system ”.
The Tamil Nadu Defenders Association also condemned Suriya’s statement.
Read | Over 85% attended NEET 2020: Minister of Education
What happened after?
On Monday night, six veteran jurists rallied to support the actor. They urged CJ Sahi to avoid any action against the actor.
Referring to the arguments raised in Judge Subramaniam’s letter against the actor, a letter signed by six retired Madras HC judges read: “Such an interpretation made in Suriya’s statement will be a bit out of place and requires no action as requested. . by the learned judge. Where four students have committed suicide without being able to meet the NEET requirement and in an overloaded atmosphere, the overreaction of an artistic person should not be taken seriously and out of context. “
All of them, including retired judges K Chandru, KN Basha, T Sudanthiram, D Hariparanthaman, K Kannan and GM Akbar Ali, added that “we must show generosity and magnanimity in leaving the matter without any knowledge” considering good social work made by the actor through his trust, who had helped hundreds of poor students complete their higher education and land placements.
Read also | NEET 2020 Paper Analysis: ‘Easy work, test center prep done right’, students say
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