All is not well in Tamil Nadu: What Kamal Haasan said in Harvard about AIADMK, his party and Rajinikanth
The entry of actors Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth into politics has led to a lot of speculations about the course they will take given that the development has come at a time of political instability in the state.
Speaking at the India Conference 2018, a student-run annual conference held at Harvard University, Kamal Haasan explained his vision and why he should be called a polity-culturist, instead of a politician. In response to a question, he also hinted that an alliance with Rajinikanth is unlikely "if his colour is saffron".
All shook up
Introducing Tamil Nadu, which was the subject of the speech, as a global village, the actor-cum-politician said that though the state has many things to be proud about, all is not well in Tamil Nadu. And he blamed all political parties for the “nadir” Tamil Nadu has hit.
Changing the status quo
Politicians have set mediocrity as the standard, he said. “… rubbish becomes acceptable, ordinary becomes extraordinary and extraordinary becomes genius. Genius itself, if it exists at all, is relegated to a state that needs psychiatric monitoring,” he said terming his vision as “extraordinary”.
Lack of imagination
The state is experiencing a policy paralysis and there is no new imagination, the actor said adding that the bar has been lowered in every aspect “from education and skilling to healthcare to social justice to creating employment.”
Resources wasted
The revenue deficit of Tamil Nadu stood at the highest at Rs 160 billion in 2016-2017. “A large part of this deficit is driven by ineffective public spending and the lethargy and the lack of vision by people in government,” he said. Successive governments failed to use and protect the water ways of the state.
Proposing a dream
“… what I propose may just be a dream, but it is much akin to that sheer necessity that led our ancestors to come up with the wheel,” he said espousing the concept of a new wheel which has to “weave its magic on the populace.”
Saving the villages
Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, he said that the primary focus of his political journey will be developing the villages. “On February 21, 2018, as I embark on my political journey, I am announcing a plan to adopt one village in every district of Tamil Nadu,” he said. At a time, one village will be developed and cooperation is required from every corner of the world, he added.
Not begging for money
Ideas, imagination, intellect, time and participation are more sought after than money in this process of rebuilding the villages, he said.
Political campaign
From February 21, Kamal Haasan will begin a state-wide tour that will be completed in phases. But his campaigning for the new party began from Harvard, as he said, "with the aspiration of forming a brain trust with my Tamil women and men."
Not a politician, but polity culturist
On previous occasions too, Kamal Haasan had expressed his unwillingness to join any party. He reiterated the point and harped on the need of recrafting the polity. "I recently signed, in a college's guest register, as 'politician'. On second thoughts, I should have signed as a 'polity-culturist' - someone cultivating a new polity," he said.
Politics is a civil duty
Recounting how he used to mimic the way intelligentsia looks down upon electoral politics, he explained how he had learnt that politics is not something below us. "On the contrary it can and should be a civic duty. A duty that we have neglected and hence, are suffering its atrophying consequences. I am fed up of complaining about governmental inaction. Demanding good governance is my right and no government need take umbrage," he said.
On being asked about the prospect of an alliance with Arvind Kejriwal's AAP, he said he is open to learning from Kejriwal's experience.