Kamal Haasan took a sharp rebuke to the political climate in the country.
- Kamal Haasan criticised NEET for denying education to many children in Tamil Nadu since 2017
- He stated education is key to breaking dictatorship and Sanatana ideology chains
- BJP-led Centre defends NEET as merit-based and prevents auctioning of medical seats
Actor and politician Kamal Haasan made a powerful political and social statement on Sunday, declaring that only education has the power to "break the chains of dictatorship and Sanatana ideology". Speaking at the 15th anniversary celebrations of actor Suriya's Agaram Foundation, Mr Haasan strongly criticised the NEET medical entrance exam and its impact on marginalised communities in Tamil Nadu.
"Since 2017, this has denied education to so many children," Mr Haasan said, referring to NEET.
"Even Agaram Foundation can't do anything about it. Only education can give the strength to change the law. Education is not just a weapon in this war, it is the chisel that can sculpt the nation," he said.
In a sharp rebuke to the political climate, Mr Haasan added, "Don't take anything else in your hands. You will not win that way. Majoritarian idiots will defeat you. Knowledge will lose. We need to collectively hold together."
Mr Haasan's comments come amid continued opposition to the NEET system for medical admissions in Tamil Nadu. The state argues that NEET disproportionately favours students from affluent urban backgrounds who can afford private coaching, and puts rural and government school students - even those with high board marks - at a severe disadvantage. The BJP-led Centre, however, defends NEET, stating that it prevents the auctioning of medical seats and ensures a merit-based selection process.
Mr Haasan also invoked the term "Sanatana" - aligning with a controversial discourse that has seen intense political reaction.
At the event, actor Suriya reflected on Agaram Foundation's impact, saying, “More than 6,000 students from extremely humble backgrounds have received an education and gone on to achieve great things. Many were orphans. Today, our former students are running the programme with empathy and social awareness.”
In 2023, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin had drawn national ire for saying 'Sanatana Dharma' must be eradicated like "diseases caused by mosquitoes", equating it with caste-based discrimination. Many cases were filed across the country, though the Supreme Court later ordered that no new cases be registered.
Tamil Nadu had abolished entrance tests for medical admission for nearly a decade and made class 12 marks the basis for it. During the UPA regime, former President Abdul Kalam had granted an exemption to Tamil Nadu, something the BJP government at the Centre wouldn't do.
