Mother’s question on NEET sparks debate:Rahul Gandhi blames Modi govt; says Akanksha’s death reflects a corrupt system

“You can conduct the exam again, but can you bring my daughter back? She still appears before my eyes every day. She says, ‘Mom, forgive me. I could not become a doctor. I could not fulfil your and Dad’s dreams.’ What was my daughter’s fault? Was it a crime to dream of becoming a doctor after being born into a poor family?” With these words, Neelam Chaturvedi breaks down. Her voice trembles, and tears roll down her face. Eleven days after the death of her daughter, Akanksha Chaturvedi, grief still hangs heavily over the family’s home in Mauganj. Mother questions future lost after daughter’s death Akanksha, a NEET aspirant from Mauganj, died by suicide in Nagpur following the NEET paper leak controversy. Her family is struggling to come to terms with the loss and continues to question the circumstances that pushed her to take the extreme step. Family still living with pain and unanswered questions Even after 11 days, the atmosphere at home remains sombre. The family says Akanksha had worked hard to become a doctor and hoped to improve the future of her family, making her death an even deeper tragedy for those left behind. When the Dainik Bhaskar team reached their home to inquire about the family’s condition, the entire family was shattered in an old, dilapidated tiled house. The mother was crying and remembering her daughter, while the father is fighting for his life in the hospital. The family is burdened with a debt of 15 to 20 lakh rupees. The mother said – What should I say now and how should I say it… My whole life has been ruined. My only daughter fell victim to the paper leak. Rahul Gandhi posted – Dharmendra Pradhan ji? Still in power, again the same committee, the same transfers, the same investigation, no reform, no justice Paper leak had completely broken her According to family members, Akanksha was a bright student. She was expecting to score more than 650 marks, but news of irregularities and paper leaks in the NEET exam pushed her into mental stress. Amid fears of the exam being conducted again, she was completely broken. To make his daughter a doctor, father Krishnakumar Chaturvedi has taken a loan of more than 15-20 lakh rupees. The father could not even see his daughter’s last rites. As soon as he heard the news of his daughter’s death, his health deteriorated so much that he had to be admitted to a hospital in Nagpur. According to doctors, he is in depression. The family says that the father, who put his life’s earnings and future at stake for his daughter’s education, was not destined to give her a final farewell. Meanwhile, due to treatment in a private hospital, the financial burden on the family is increasing. Continued to work hard even after two heart attacks and paralysis Neelam says- My husband is a heart patient. He has had two attacks. Each time, God saved him. Two years ago, he suffered a stroke. There came a time when even moving his hands and feet became difficult. He remained bedridden for a long time. One day he became very sad. One day he said, “If I continue to lie in bed like this, what will happen next?” We already have a lot of debt due to our daughter’s education. I will have to start working again, no matter what. I tried to explain to him. I told him, “You have recovered from two heart attacks. You are currently suffering from paralysis. If something happens to you, what will we do?” He said, “Nothing will happen to me. Why do you worry? When our daughter studies and becomes a doctor, all our troubles will go away.” A few days later, he started going to work. Stopped eating and drinking 3 days before her death Akanksha’s younger brother, Raj Chaturvedi, said that his sister always talked about her dream of becoming a doctor. She never talked about anything else. I also lived with my sister in Nagpur. The day she came back after giving the exam, she was very happy. There was a sparkle in her eyes. She was saying that her paper went so well that she answered everything. Now her dream of becoming a doctor would be fulfilled. Ever since the news of the paper leak came out, she went into depression. She had stopped eating and drinking 3 days before her suicide. She became quiet. We tried to talk to her, but she didn’t say anything. 90-year-old grandmother said – Death would have been better than this Akanksha’s 90-year-old grandmother, Yashoda Chaturvedi, is now also cursing her fate. She said – What is left to say now? At an age when I myself am going to die in a few days, at that age I saw my granddaughter’s death. Never thought that such a day would come when I would have to witness the death of my third generation before my eyes. Earlier, I considered my long life a blessing from God, but now it feels like a curse. It would have been better if I had died than to see these days. At least I would have died peacefully. Elder father said – We were supposed to lift the palanquin, but had to lift the bier Grandfather Hanuman Prasad Chaturvedi said that at the age when he was supposed to lift his daughter’s palanquin, now he had to lift his daughter’s bier. What could be more tragic than this? My heart trembled when I carried her bier on these very shoulders. Mother said – This corrupt system has taken my daughter’s life Akanksha’s mother, Neelam, said weeping that this corrupt system has taken her daughter’s life. What does the government care? Whether a poor person lives or dies. If the paper hadn’t leaked today, my daughter would have been alive. She said that they will conduct the exam again. Can you bring my daughter’s life back? Do you have the ability to compensate for our loss? Our only daughter is gone. As soon as the paper leaked, she remembered the burden of her father’s heavy debt and took this step. Opposition delegation provided assistance of two and a half lakh Akanksha’s cousin and elder brother Rahul Chaturvedi said that the ruling party did not provide any help here, but some people from the opposition came here. They have provided financial assistance of two and a half lakh rupees. Now people in the village do not want to send their daughters to study outside Kusum Chaturvedi from the family said that this incident has shaken every person from within. In the village and surrounding areas, people did not pay much attention to the education of daughters before, to send them out to study to become doctors.