Education alone can break 'chain of Sanatan', says Kamal Haasan

Stoking a controversy, Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan has said that education is the only weapon that could break the "chains of autocracy and the Sanatan Dharma".

His comment on "chain of Sanatan", was strongly condemned by the Tamil Nadu BJP.

Addressing an event in Chennai, the Rajya Sabha MP said the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) has prevented access to medical education for so many children and the strength to change that rule of exam could emerge only from education.

Haasan, who days ago assumed office as a Rajya Sabha MP, was addressing an event on Sunday, held by Agaram Foundation of noted Tamil actor Suriya. Actor Suriya was present on the dais when Haasan made the remark.

Haasan said, in this war against NEET, even Aagaram Foundation cannot do anything and education alone could mould the nation without any other weapon. "This is the only weapon that can break the chains of autocracy and Sanatana (Dharma)," he said.

Furthermore, he said: "Do not lay your hands on anything else, because you cannot win; because the majority will defeat you, the majority fools will defeat you and wisdom (knowledge) will lose."

Senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan alleged Haasan had insulted Hindu sentiments and condemned his remark. She wondered why he negatively mentioned about Sanatan while he was speaking about education and its importance, which was well-known and being stressed by leaders since pre-independence period.

Haasan would not appreciate measures such as the introduction of NEP (National Education Policy) by the Centre to develop the nation by further improving education.

Lashing out at Haasan as "more loyal" to chief minister M.K. Stalin than even the DMK functionaries themselves, Soundararajan said the actor-turned politician would make any comment that would make the chief minister happy.

Recently, Haasan raised the issue of "language", which led to problems, she said apparently referring to the actor-politician's "Kannada was born from Tamil" remark that led to a huge controversy in Karnataka.

"Now, he (Haasan) wants to divide the people in the name of religion," the former Telangana governor told PTI Videos. Now that Haasan is a Rajya Sabha MP, he should be more responsible. However, it has become fashionable to insult Hindu sentiments in Tamil Nadu.

BJP Tamil Nadu unit vice-president Khushbu Sundar condemned Haasan's remark as unwarranted and "absolutely uncalled for".

Haasan could have confined himself to stressing on the importance of education, and "we all agree that education is the biggest weapon."

As regards NEET, she said it was introduced in 2013 even before the BJP came to power at the Centre. The medical entrance test was not for Tamil Nadu alone, but for the whole country. Also, when all other states do not have a problem with NEET and when students and parents in Tamil Nadu do not have a problem, why are they (parties in the state) making it political, she asked.

In 2023, DMK leader and deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's comment linking Sanatan Dharma to dengue and malaria led to a huge controversy and petitions were filed against him in courts.