Popular Tamil actor Suriya Sivakumar has recently addressed the matter of students’ suicides related to the NEET examination. The actor reached out to students via a video in which he is talking about his own academic failures and urged the students not to end their life for an exam.

In a 1.54 minute video in the Tamil language, the actor made an emotional appeal to students, especially NEET aspirants to not end their lives and consoled students disturbed by the matter of appearing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), the mandatory entrance test for medical admission.

Here’s the video!

Addressing India’s obsession with glorious academic performance and marks, Surya said, “I have also been one among you and can tell you that marks alone don’t make your life as there are many other things to achieve in life. Be bold and confident, face your fears. Many of us who love you and understand you are here. All of us can win big in life. Let there be no fear.”

Telling the students that failures and hardships don’t stay for long and go away, Surya urged students not to end their lives and to speak about everything with someone they trust and love like their parents, elders, friends or teachers.

“This pain, hardship and fear would go away in some time but ending life is a lifetime punishment you give to your parents and those who love you. It won’t go away” he said in a heartfelt appeal to students.

The appeal comes at the backdrop of the report of three suicides over the last one week by students over the fear of failure in the entrance test.

It has also been reported that at least 17 medical aspirants, including a few Class 12 top scorers, have died by suicide over the last few years, largely after failing to crack the highly competitive NEET exam or in fear of failure.

Earlier Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin addressed the issues and requested students not to end their life over an exam.

Also Read: Know why ‘#JusticeForNEETAspirants’ is gaining steam on social media

In a live Twitter session, Stalin said that he was broken by the news and urged students that their lives are too invaluable for their families and nation to be ended like this.

“I am in the same frame of mind I was when Anitha died in September 2017. I had appealed to students then too to not take this step, but today Soundharya, yesterday Kanimozhi, and on Saturday Dhanush have died by suicide. I was broken by the news, and even more than that, I am concerned that this will repeat again.”