Chennai: The DMK and its allies have jointly decided to hold an agitation on June 10 to protest against the government’s decision to hold the examinations for Class ten students from June 15 onwards.
Leaders of 11 political parties, led by the DMK, appealed to members of all the parties, the common people, youth, teachers and parents to take part in the agitation when slogans like ‘Do not play the lives of children would be raised.
They said that the government should reschedule the examination to a later date with due consultation with teachers and other stakeholders after the Coronavirus crisis was over.
Earlier, DMK President M K Stalin and MDMK general Secretary Vaiko urged the government to cancel the tenth standard public examination in view of the threat posed by the Coronavirus pandemic.
In separate statements, the leaders argued that the by conducting the tenth examination, scheduled to begin on June 15, the government would be endangering the lives of students, parents, teachers and many other connected with the them.
‘Rulers, for their secret gains, should not play with students’ lives,’ said Stalin, while Vaiko claimed that parents were not prepared to play with children’s lives.
Both leaders pointed to the growing number of cases in the State. There was no sign of the rapid spread of Coronavirus abating and the way the number of infections was growing there was even a fear that social spread could have started, Stalin said.
He said that now that there were reports of the Covid-19 virus taking a more menacing form and added that of late children and youth are also getting infected in large numbers.
The CPM State general secretary K Balakrishnan urged the government to put off the examinations till the situation became normal.
Due to the increase in number of positive cases and the number of deaths, the students were not in a proper frame of mind to take the examinations, he said, adding it would not be right to hold the examinations from June 15.
The parties that are taking part in the agitation on June 10 are: DMK, DK, Congress, MDMK, CPM, CPI, IUML, VCK, MNK, Kongu People’s National party and IJK.
