CHENNAI: Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan made strong remarks on the necessity of education while addressing a gathering at the Agaram Foundation event in Chennai.
“Education is the only weapon that can break the chains of dictatorship and Sanatan,” the Rajya Sabha MP said on Sunday.
Kamal Haasan added, “Don’t take anything else in your hands, only education. We cannot win without it, because the majority can make you lose. Majority Fools (Moodargal) will make u lose; knowledge alone will seem defeated. That’s why we must hold on to it (Education) firmly.”
Praising the Agaram foundation work, the Rajya Sabha MP said, “True education and unconditional love are hard to come by. Apart from our mothers, institutions like Agaram Foundation are among the few places where we can still find them,”
He highlighted that recognition in cinema, symbolised by crowns of fame, is different from the invisible yet impactful recognition one gets through social service.
“In cinema, we are crowned for our performances. But in social work, we are given a crown of thorns. It takes a strong heart to accept that crown. No one else will do this for us we have to do it ourselves,” he said.
Addressing the challenges in the field of education, he pointed out how the implementation of NEET since 2017 has limited opportunities for many aspiring students. “Even Agaram Foundation, despite its best efforts, cannot help students beyond a point because the law doesn’t allow it. To change the law, we need strength and that strength can only come from education, he said.
Kamal Haasan also shared a recent conversation with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin. “Yesterday, I told the Chief Minister that NGOs were not asking for anything like money –they’re only asking for permission to work. He assured me that steps are being taken in that direction. I am proud to be involved in this cause,” he said.
He concluded by saying that true leaders are often forgotten, even as the impact of their work continues. “Leadership isn’t about staying in power, it’s about making change happen, even if your name fades away with the waves. It has taken me 70 years to understand this. (ANI)
