Tone-deaf statements from Kamal Haasan.
Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has made a shocking comment demanding plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir. According to reports, Kamal Haasan made this statement while talking to reporters in Chennai. However, after outrage his party has claimed that the statement was taken out of context.
He not only called for a plebiscite in J&K, he also asked what India is afraid of', reports ANI. He accused the country of not taking Kashmiris into confidence. Haasan also branded the terrorists operating in the Valley as 'jehadi fighters' and also called Pakistan occupied Kashmir as 'Azad Kashmir'. He also said that the Army is old-fashioned concept and one day people should just agree not to kill each other.
The newly turned politician also said that if opposition and government 'behave well', the line of control can be kept under control.
Soon, his party, the Makkal Needhi Maiam, tweeted a statement claiming his comments had been reported out of context, focusing one news channel in particular. "Makkal Needhi Maiam strongly condemns the report... which has completely twisted the words of out Party President Me Kamal Haasan out of context. Our President and our Party stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the armed forces in this hour of grief," the statement said.
The party further said the report on Kamal Haasan's remarks "were mentioned by our Party President in the context of a magazine articles published three decades ago about an option that was available at one point in time of history. This is no loger relevant and is in no way an indication of his position or Party's position today," the statement added.
"We firmly believe that entire Kashmir is an integral part of India and we stand firmly with our armed forces, para-military and central forces who defend it selflessly," it concluded.
Makkal Needhi Maiam statement on the report carried by Times Now.@TimesNow @RShivshankar pic.twitter.com/Q0J5YyJA4E
— Makkal Needhi Maiam | மக்கள் நீதி மய்யம் (@maiamofficial) February 18, 2019
Kamal Haasan who has formed a political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) is known for his controversial comments. Even in the past, he stirred the pot by saying Hindu terror exists, a statement which ensured massive backlash from various political parties including BJP.
1. What did Kamal Haasan say precisely?
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When asked about the heinous Pak sponsored attack in Pulwama which lead to death of 40 CRPF jawans, the actor turned politician referred to his words written in magazine Maiyam run by him in the past. He was quoted as saying, "“You will never conduct a plebiscite. Why are you scared?
He also said that installing pictures of 'Azad Kashmir jihadi fighters' on trains in Pakistan is 'foolishness'.
He said Indians have to stop behaving like Pakistanis if they want to show that they are better.
2. 'Army is an old-fashion' concept
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Making another naive comment about Army and modern warfare, the actor was quoted as saying , "I don’t believe that army personnel go to die" He said that army is an old-fashioned thing, Completely ignoring the fact that India is forced into this warfare by Pakistan, he said, "we should one day decide not to kill each other (in war) like we decided not to kill and eat each other during the early days of civilisation".
3. 40 CRPF jawans dead in Pulwama attack
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Kamal Haasan's comments come in the aftermath of Pulwama attack where 40 CRPF jawans were killed by a JEM terrorist in a suicide car attack. Even as Kamal Hassan was speaking in Chennai, in a fresh attack 4 Indian Army men lost their lives in Pulwama. One civilian was also killed.
4. Here is the full transcript
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Question: In the recent Pulwama attack where we lost 44 CRPF personnel. There is lot of things were said in the media that we should wage a war and revenge is the word. You took a different stand. You called the advisor of Governor of Kashmir and you want to spend time with the deceased man’s family. What made you think differently? I don't think no politician in TN would have called Vijayakumar, the advisor to the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
Kamal:
It there is bleeding, we should first stop it not talk about surgery. We should do surgery but first, we should stop bleeding. We should stop it with a cloth or ice to ensure there won’t be further loss of blood.
I spoke to their families... I tell you one thing… 44 people were killed. It is a very tragic incident. If your parents asked you not to join the army because of this, you tell them one statistics… More people get killed in road accidents in TN than in the army. When I told this in the Officers Training Academy, they were so happy. We are talking about unemployment but there are several vacancies only thing is whether we have the courage to take up such jobs.
Even educated will get a good job. Only thing is you will be made to workout for first two years. I wanted to reach out to them (deceased CRPF personnel families) is nothing to do with politics. It is like how we react to death in our neighbour's house.
One thing I truly regret when you say that army soldiers go there to die. I don’t believe that. I think Army itself is an old fashioned thing. How we decided that one should not kill each other for food, likewise a time will come to stop fighting each other. Did we not even learn this in the past 10,000 years of our civilisation? So it is not like soldiers are meant to die. Why should our watchman die? If two (countries) politicians behave properly no one will die. The line of control will be under control.
You have been tampering constantly.. you want to know what is centrism. That is not pulling right and left. Don't do it. They are people. I have written about Kashmir question on my Maiam magazine. I mourn this day because I forecasted that this is exactly what will happen. I could have predicted something better but unfortunately, I thought plebiscite should be held and make people talk... why have they not held it? What are they scared of? And the country was divided once. Why don't you ask them again? They won't do it? Now it (Kashmir) belongs to India, same situation prevails across the border.
There (Pakistan) also is like this. In trains, they have pictures of terrorists. They have pictures of Azad Kashmir jihadi’s on the sides of trains. Here even our (film) stars will not get such a status. Maybe our cricket players will get it. It is also a foolish thing to do. India also behaves with an equal amount of foolishness, it's not fair. If we want to prove that India is a far better country, then we should not behave like that. There begins the politics, there begins the neo-political culturism,
