As the student-led NEET-UG protests continue to gather momentum across India, several prominent voices from the Tamil film industry came together in Chennai on Thursday to express solidarity with the movement. Director Pa Ranjith’s Neelam Cultural Centre organised a protest at Rajarathinam Stadium in Egmore, drawing filmmakers, musicians and actors who called for greater political accountability and support for the students protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
Chennai’s film fraternity lends its voice to the movement
Among those who participated were directors Vetri Maaran and Ameer, actor Andrea Jeremiah, singer-rapper Arivu, music composer Sai Abhyankkar and several members of the artistic community. The demonstration comes amid growing nationwide support for the protests, which have seen students and civil society groups demand action over the alleged NEET paper leak and broader concerns surrounding the examination system.
Addressing the gathering, Pa Ranjith questioned Chief Minister Vijay’s silence over the alleged police action against student protesters in Delhi.
“Has the Chief Minister not seen those videos? How can you remain a silent spectator when students are being assaulted? The government itself should provide a space for students to protest. We want a Chief Minister who stands with the people. The fight against NEET should not remain just a slogan. You (the Chief Minister) must join us in this struggle,” he said.
The filmmaker also raised concerns over the representation of Dalit issues within the state government, questioning whether ministers from the community had actively spoken about matters affecting Dalits since assuming office.
“Chief Minister Vijay has appointed eight Dalits as ministers. But it has already been two months since the government came to power. Except for Minister Vanni Arasu, have any of the other seven Dalit ministers spoken about Dalit issues even once?” he asked.
Calls grow louder for the abolition of NEET
Director Vetri Maaran argued that the continuing student protests reflected a larger institutional failure and reiterated his long-held opposition to the NEET examination.
“If students are forced to come out and protest, it means the institutions meant to address their concerns are not functioning properly. That itself is an indicator of the government’s failure. Our demand should not be for a ‘fair NEET’. It should be for the complete abolition of NEET.
I see the burden of NEET firsthand. My friend’s children have had to sacrifice an entire academic year just to prepare for and clear the exam. NEET is taking medical education away from us and forcing us to stand helplessly before the government. We must unite and intensify the demand to abolish NEET. We will continue to stand for that cause,” he said.
Actor and singer Andrea Jeremiah revealed that the Chennai gathering marked the first public protest she had ever attended. She said she had been closely following the developments over the past week and felt compelled to stand alongside the students.
“This is the first protest of my life. I’ve been following the developments over the past week. Though we may be far away from Jantar Mantar, we are all emotionally invested in this issue,” she said.
Andrea also invoked Rabindranath Tagore’s celebrated poem Where the Mind Is Without Fear from Gitanjali, drawing attention to the line, “Where knowledge is free.”
“We are all protesting because we believe that knowledge should be free. Knowledge is our birthright, and if the system denies us that right, then the system must be rectified,” she added.
With demonstrations continuing in several cities across the country and more public figures extending their support, the NEET-UG protests have evolved into a broader conversation on education, access and accountability. Thursday’s gathering in Chennai reflected that growing chorus, as members of the Tamil film fraternity joined students in demanding meaningful change.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: filmfare.com
