Discrimination, meted out on the basis of caste, colour or language, is an archaic evil that societies are still battling with. But, when the victims in question are meritorious students, the effect becomes more traumatising. That is precisely what students from Tamil Nadu , who migrate to north Indian cities to pursue higher education in central institutes, say they suffer from, many a time silently.For youth from the hinterlands of TN, pursuing a PG or a doctorate degree in Delhi is a dream come true, more so if it is a medical course. But reality strikes several students the moment they land at the campuses . While they are still acquainting themselves to the alien culture, discrimination , often bordering on harassment and preferential treatment by fellow students, faculty and administrative staff is unleashed on them. Many overcome this phase, but for the few who cannot, campus life becomes a nightmare, say psychologists. When academic stress builds up, some quit the course midway while others resort to suicide.Take the case of M Mariraj, a third year student of M S Surgery in B J medical College, Ahmedabad. A dalit student from Kadayanallur in Tirunelveli district, he joined the college in 2016. But three years later, he attempted suicide by consuming sleeping pills. He was saved by a friend."I was asked to serve tea to students one day. I sensed discrimination in the first month of my course itself. Once I was asked to leave the room during a surgery session. It is akin to denying a student the opportunity to learn," he says.A cross section of students and alumni say there is preferential treatment in campuses. In some cases, language is a barrier for students from TN to mix with peers. Students also say there is a general perception among locals that outsiders are poaching on their educational opportunities."Often this discrimination is not deliberate. But, TN students are academically sound and the psychological insecurity of local students manifests into discrimination," says Lenin Devasagaya Vinobar, a Delhi University alumni and former president of the university’s Tamil Students Alumni Association.Caste-based discrimination is also high, says G Ravindranath, general secretary of Doctors’ Association of Social Equality. "Dalit students are allotted separate cadavers unlike students from other communities. Dalits are clubbed together and given hostel rooms which are in bad shape," he says. "Students from Kerala, Telengana and Bihar, despite knowing Hindi, also face caste-based discrimination," says Lenin.Dr D Ramamurthy, chairman of Eye Foundation and an alumnus of All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) says this was not the case 30 years ago. "There was competition, but I never faced such issues as a student," he says. He believes that the allegations of discrimination are isolated cases.Admitting that there are challenges like language issues for TN students in northern institutions, M S Ashraf, former national vice-president of Indian Medical Association says, "But we cannot say for sure if there is discrimination."A second year post graduate student of a Delhi institute, however, says preferential treatment is real. "Not all, but sections of fellow students, faculty and administrative staff treat us with contempt," he rues.To stop discrimination, Ravindranath says the number of seats should be increased in medical institutes. Alumni also suggest that committees should be formed to counsel students from other parts of the country."Students have to be mentally prepared in advance on what to expect. Even if their expectations go wrong, they should speak instead of bottling up their emotions. If they find it difficult to face the problems, they should not consider it a failure, but rather deal with it," says D Srinivasan, psychiatrist at Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital.