Chennai: The deposit money for CPI(M) candidates K. Samuvel Raj in Virudhunagar and G. Anandhan in Villupuram LS constituencies were paid by a group of students who cleared their Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) with the help of 20 free coaching centres run by the candidates in Tamil Nadu.
To show their gratitude, the students pooled the money and handed over Rs 12,500 on Monday. Samuvel Raj and Anandhan of the TN Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) launched the Ambedkar Education and Employment Training Centre in 2011 to provide free coaching for poor students. Senior bureaucrats, teachers and researchers conducted seminars and trained TET applicants.
Both Samuvel and Anandhan felt that government institutions which had the responsibility of providing free training for them failed to do so; their role was confined to conducting exams only, the two averred. Through TNUEF, Samuvel and Anandhan helped scores of students clear the exams.
N. Karthik, who contributed '2,000 for the MP candidates, said, “Samuvel Raj and Anandhan did what should have been done by the government. We see them as potential MP candidates who would be the voice of the voiceless people. We decided to contribute our humble mite as a token of gratitude for them.” Karthik studied in the Chennai centre of TNUEF for five months and scored 97 out of 120 marks in TET.
Another contributor, Karthika Vijayakumar, explained that TNUEF leaders were in the forefront and organised protests demanding relaxation of marks in TET for underprivileged students.
“Unlike other government exams in the state, no relaxation norm was followed in TET. TNUEF organised a series of protests and influenced the government to introduce 5 per cent mark relaxation for reserved category students, which benefited us hugely,” said Karthika.
She gave Rs 500 as her contribution. “I appeared for TET in October 2012 and scored only 82 marks. With the help of TNUEF classes, my scores went up to 101 marks,” she said.
