Girls commit suicide in TN: Women activists seek HRD Ministry's response

Women activist Shamina Shafiq on Sunday dubbed the suicide committed by three female students of a medical college in Tamil Nadu as 'shocking' and demanded a thorough probe so that the truth behind the unfortunate incident comes to the fore.

"It is shocking that three students of the same college have committed suicide. There must have been a very serious issue that these girls took such a step. It is very unfortunate," Shafiq told ANI.

The former NCW member further said two angles must be looked into this unfortunate incident to get to the bottom of this case.

"A proper investigation should be carried out to find out the exact cause. Why they decided to end their lives in such a sad manner? With the increase in suicide cases in the colleges, it is necessary for the institutes to have proper psychological counselling to which the students can look upon in case they face any kind of mental trauma," said Shamina.

"There are various angles, which need to be looked upon. First, whether there was any psychological counselling? It is very necessary for the colleges to have such counselling as to where the students can go and look upon when they are facing any kind of mental trauma. Second, it is necessary to find whether there was any kind of sexual harassment with those students?" she added.

Meanwhile, former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Barkha Shukla Singh shifted the blame on the BJP-led NDA Government, saying that the HRD Ministry has been under controversies ever since the saffron party has come to power.

"Recently, a student from Hyderabad University committed suicide and now these three girls in Tamil Nadu. What is the ministry doing?" Shukla asked.

"The (HRD) Ministry should refrain from politics and must focus on students as it is a question of their future. It is very unfortunate that the students are forced to end up their lives in such a manner," she added.

Three second-year students of Svs Medical College of Yoga and Naturopathy and Research Institute at Kallakurichi near Viluppuram in Tamil Nadu committed suicide on Saturday evening, accusing the administration of charging excess fees and 'torture' and blaming college chairman Vasuki Subramanian for their death.

The three girls namely E. Saranya and V. Priyanka (both 18 years) and T. Monisha (19 years) in a two-page suicide note said that the students had filed several complaints against Subramanian but to no avail. Citing "torture" by the management, the girls hoped that their suicide would finally force the authorities to take action against the chairman.

The girls accused the administration of charging 'excess fees' around Rs. six lakh and never giving the bill. They also mentioned that the college lacked proper classes or teachers and there was 'nothing to learn'.

The students had been protesting for more than a month over lack of infrastructure, but it was only in the last two weeks that the protest turned vigorous.

The police, which has begun investigating this matter, has so far arrested the Shokkar Verma, the son of the chairman, in connection with this case.

The incident comes days after Rohith Vemula, a Dalit scholar of Hyderabad University, allegedly committed suicide after he and his four friends were suspended by the authorities from the hostel after a fight with the ABVP activists in the campus.

The Hyderabad incident has sparked nationwide outrage with the Opposition demanding the resignations of Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya.