March 9, 2017
Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Friday said the
vandalism of Dravidian icon Periyar's statue in Tamil Nadu was to divert
attention from pressing issues like Cauvery water sharing dispute with
Karnataka.
At the IndiaToday Conclave 2018, Haasan, who launched new
party Makkal Needhi Maiam last month, said his idea of joining politics was to
challenge and change the "crass" and "mediocre" politics of Tamil Nadu.
He said he was not anti-BJP but anti everything, including extremism, that
brings people hardships.
"I am anti everything that goes wrong for the
people. As for extremism, Hindu extremism exists, read the Tamil papers," he
said.
He said the vandalism of Periyar's statue in Vellore was also an
act of extremism and "a diversionary tactic to take people's attention away from
more pressing issues such as sharing Cauvery water".
Asked why did he
start a new party when he could have strengthened an existing, established
outfit with an army of cadres, Haasan replied in his characteristic poetic
manner.
"What will I do if I am hungry and what is available is rotten food,"
he asked, asserting that he had no other option but to launch a new party in
Tamil Nadu where mediocrity was standard and "rubbish" acceptable
"I am
challenging the status quo. Mediocrity is set as a standard...rubbish becomes
acceptable. This has been the state of Tamil politics for nearly half a
century."
Asked about his idea of politics, Haasan said: "I am
anti-crass, mediocre politics...I am challenging these. Existing parties have
become mediocre."
But he did not rule out the possibility of aligning
with other political parties in future.
"We will have to see who we can
align with. At the moment we are looking, not shopping. Certain ideas, plans
have to be similar. We will not shake hands with corrupt politicians."
He
said his party will be the "po" of Tamil politics, referring to the term by
Maltese philosopher that precedes and signals a provocation, beyond the
traditional yes or no.
"Many don't get the idea of centrism... We do not
have to be left or right," Haasan said.
He said the decision to join
politics was not taken overnight but he had been a politician for nearly 30
years now.
"But I thought electoral politics was not for me. Things have
changed now," he said.
He said his political philosophy is based on his
learning from Mahatma Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar and Periyar. "Dialogue from Gandhiji
and the anger against caste from Ambedkar and Periyar."
Haasan also
touched upon his relationship with actor Sridevi, who died last month at the age
of 54.
"It's like we came from the same house...we were like siblings.
She had a bag of tricks that she picked up from various masters and she used
it," he said about her co-star in Tamil and Hindi movies.