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Around 50 members of the Anti-NEET Federation, led by S Maniratnam, brother of medical aspirant S Anitha, gathered at Besant Nagar beach in Chennai on Tuesday, September 1, to mark her ninth death anniversary, despite the police denying permission for the event.
The gathering was held amid police security, with participants lighting candles, garlanding Anitha’s portrait and raising slogans against NEET.
Speaking at the event, Manirathnam questioned the police’s decision to deny permission, saying the organisers had applied 15 days in advance for the remembrance programme.
“Are we rowdies to pose a threat to public safety? This police reply indicates how the government looks at us. The government should make that clear,” Manirathnam said.
He said the gathering would have been conducted on a larger scale if permission had been granted in time.
Maniratnam also objected to the police describing the proposed event as a protest in its order.
In its August 31 order, the police cited the Velankanni Matha Church festival in Besant Nagar, which is being held from August 29 to September 8. It said a large number of devotees from Chennai and other areas were expected to travel to the church by buses, vans, cars, and two-wheelers, as well as on foot.
The police also cited the ongoing Devi Ellaiyamman temple festival in nearby Urur-Alcott Kuppam.
The police said the proposed gathering could draw students and members of various student organisations and potentially cause disruption to vehicular movement and inconvenience to the public, affecting “law and order and public peace”.
Also, in its September 1 order, the police cited the possibility of disruption but said the organisers could seek permission to hold a protest at designated locations including Sivanandam Salai and Panagal Maligai in Saidapet.
Maniratnam said the organisers had sought permission for a remembrance meeting and not a protest or agitation.
He also said the federation’s demands were aligned with the Tamil Nadu government’s position on NEET.
“Our demand is simple — NEET should be scrapped and education should come to the State List. Our protest will help the Tamil Nadu government’s opposition to NEET and not pull it back,” he said.
The issue of permission for the Besant Nagar event was also raised in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday. Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin questioned why a remembrance program was treated as a protest.
Minister Aadhav Arjuna said the police decision was based on law-and-order and traffic concerns arising from the ongoing church festival in the locality.
Meanwhile, a separate remembrance programme was held at Periyar Thidal, where Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani and representatives of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Communist parties participated.
The latest developments come weeks after members of the Anti-NEET Federation staged an indefinite hunger strike in Chennai.
Four members — Dhanasekar, Jeeva Rathinam, Puliyanthope Mohan and Ravi — began the fast on August 1 at the Tamilaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi office in Koyambedu.
The hunger strike ended on August 12 after the Assembly passed a resolution urging the Union government to scrap the examination.
Manirathnam said the state’s campaign against NEET would continue despite the Union government not acting on resolutions and Bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
“Despite the multiple resolutions and Bills against NEET in our state Assembly, the Union government has not taken them into account. We will coordinate all the voices against NEET across the country and pressure the Union government to scrap NEET,” he said.
Maniratnam also added that the federation would explore other forms of protest to pursue its demand.
Anitha, a student from Ariyalur district, died by suicide on September 1, 2017, after she was unable to secure a medical seat through the NEET-based admission system.
Her death triggered protests across Tamil Nadu and became a prominent symbol of the state’s opposition to NEET.