Shillong, Jul 24: Gambegre MLA Mehtab Chandee Sangma today urged authorities to listen patiently and sympathetically to students raising concerns over alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), saying their grievances merit serious attention.
The remarks are significant as Mehtab’s National People’s Party (NPP), which leads the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government in the state, is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is feeling the protest heat as it heads the central government.
Only yesterday, the opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) had called on the state government to end its deafening silence over the protests. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who is also Mehtab’s husband, has been conspicuously quiet about the student-led agitation, which have seen solidarity protests here in Shillong. Also quiet is Rajya Sabha MP for Meghalaya, James PK Sangma, who is Conrad’s elder brother. He was sworn-in on Monday, the same day that protestors were violently dealt with by police in Delhi as they tried to march on Parliament.
Speaking to reporters, Mehtab Sangma said she was not in a position to comment on how the central government was dealing with the issue but maintained that the concerns expressed by students were genuine.
“It is definitely a genuine issue,” she said. “We should have a sympathetic and patient hearing for students across the country because they are part of our society and they are the next generation.”
Asked whether the purpose behind introducing NEET was being defeated, the MLA, who also holds a medical degree, said the examination was brought in to ensure greater transparency and simplify the admission process.
“The whole reason why NEET was introduced was because placements would become easier and there would be transparency in the distribution of seats,” she said.
Sangma also pointed out that the present controversy was not an isolated case, noting that similar incidents had occurred in the past, indicating the need for systemic reforms.
“It is not the first incident. There have been previous incidents, which means something, somewhere needs to be addressed. If we can dig deeper and identify where we are going wrong, I think we can deal with the issue more effectively,” she added.
