Students of Siddha Medical College begin fast-unto-death

TIRUNELVELI: The ongoing struggle by the fi rst year students of the Government Siddha Medical College took a serious turn as a section of students and their parents began a fastunto- death at the College premises at Palayamkottai, here today. Meanwhile, indefi nite sitin- stir of the students, who were demanding immediate commencement of fi rst year classes, entered eleventh consecutive day today. Three girl students, two boy students and four parents began the indefi nite hunger strike this morning. The agitating students said they were dissatisfi ed over the talks held between Tamil Nadu Health Minister V S Vijay and the students’ representatives that took place at State Secretariat yesterday. ‘’We will withdraw the agitation, only if all the hurdles were cleared to ensure the commencement of classes on an early note,’’ they said. The Central Government’s Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) denied permission for the admission of students to the fi rst year of Government Siddha Medical College, here citing lack of infrastructure. Because of this, the students could not join the college though they were given admission through the single window system counselling. Tamil Nadu Government claimed that it had written to the Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and urged him to come to the rescue of the students, but there was no reply. Senior offi cials of the State Health department were also deputed a few times to New Delhi to plead the case of the students with the central authorities.