On Day 1 As MP, Kamal Haasan Raises Polarisation, Seeks Centrism

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan, freshly sworn in as a Rajya Sabha MP, has released a deeply reflective open letter addressed to citizens of the country including his home state, Tamil Nadu.

He laid out his vision for the country, underscoring the need for centrism, ethical governance, diversity and national unity at a time he described as a "historic crossroads."

Mr Haasan, the founder and president of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), described his entry into parliament not as a formality, but as a solemn promise to uphold the Constitution with "fidelity, courage, and conscience."

"I do not arrive in parliament as a mere critic," he wrote, "but as a committed contributor to the idea of India. Where I must oppose, I will do so with reason. Where I must support, I will do so with conviction. And where I must advise, I will do so constructively - not to score points, but to build consensus."

In what is clearly a foundational declaration of his political ideology, Mr Haasan passionately advocated for centrism - not as a compromise, but as a conviction. He described centrism as the core ideology of MNM, calling it "the art of balance - of embracing both equity and efficiency, liberty and fraternity, tradition and progress."

A new Chapter unfolds. pic.twitter.com/xEKhEZjGAa

— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) July 25, 2025

Reiterating unity in diversity and drawing inspiration from India's freedom movement, Mr Haasan wrote, "It was not a monochrome march, but a magnificent mosaic - Gandhiji's non-violence, Ambedkar's constitutionalism, Nehru's pluralism, Patel's pragmatism, and Periyar's rationalism - all found space under the same sky." At the heart of this movement, he said, was a spirit of centrism that could once again help "rescue our Republic from the perils of division."

Mr Haasan warned that the country stands at a pivotal moment - "not of comfort, but of consequence." With the world's largest youth population, he said India is blessed with the energy of tomorrow but must not squander that future with complacency. "The cries for equity, for employment, for education, and for ethical governance must not echo unheard in the corridors of power," he said.

He promised to be a "clear, compassionate, and committed" voice for Tamil Nadu in Delhi. "I will not speak for one community but for the common good. Not for narrow gain, but for national growth," the letter read.

Mr Haasan paid homage to his late father, a freedom fighter who instilled in him the values of liberty, justice, and reform. "In my veins flows not just his blood, but his values - forged in the crucible of our struggle for independence, tempered by the dreams of Gandhiji, the intellect of Ambedkar, and the conviction of Periyar."

Mr Haasan launched Makkal Needhi Maiam in 2017 with a focus on clean alternative politics and development. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party garnered around 4 per cenmt of the vote share across Tamil Nadu. In the 2021 assembly polls, he narrowly lost to BJP's Vanathi Srinivasan in Coimbatore South.

In 2024, Mr Haasan aligned with the ruling DMK, calling it "the need of the hour." Notably, a key DMK welfare scheme - Rs 1,000 monthly assistance to women - was first proposed by him during his 2021 campaign.

"I am honoured to begin with. I know I've a lot to do. Something is expected of me. I hope I live up to those expectations. I'll try my best to be honest, earnest and speak for Tamil Nadu and India," Mr Haasan told NDTV on Thursday.