Education alone can break chain of Sanatan, says Kamal Haasan

chennai: stoking a controversy, makkal needhi maiam chief kamal haasan has said education is the only weapon that could break the chains of autocracy and sanatan dharma.his comment on the “chain of sanatan” was strongly condemned by the tamil nadu bjp.addressing an event here, the rajya sabha mp said the national entrance-cum-eligibility test (neet) had prevented access to medical education for many children, and that the strength to change that exam could emerge only through education.haasan, who recently assumed office as a rajya sabha mp, was speaking at an event on sunday organised by the agaram foundation of actor suriya.actor suriya was present on the dais when haasan made the remark.haasan said in the war against neet, even the agaram foundation could do nothing and that education alone could mould the nation “without any other weapon.”“this is the only weapon that can break the chains of autocracy and sanatan (dharma),” he said.“do not lay your hands on anything else, because you cannot win; the majority will defeat you — the majority fools will defeat you — and wisdom (knowledge) will lose,” he added.senior bjp leader tamilisai soundararajan alleged haasan had insulted hindu sentiments and condemned his remark.she questioned why he derided sanatan while speaking about education — something long emphasised by leaders since pre-independence.haasan would not appreciate measures such as the national education policy, introduced by the centre to improve education, she said.soundararajan accused haasan of being “more loyal” to chief minister m k stalin than even dmk functionaries and said he was making comments to please the chief minister.recently haasan stirred controversy with his remark that kannada was born from tamil, she noted.“now, he wants to divide the people in the name of religion,” soundararajan told pti videos.she said that now haasan is a rajya sabha mp, he should be more responsible, adding it has “become fashionable” to insult hindu sentiments in tamil nadu.bjp tamil nadu vice president khushbu sundar also condemned haasan's remark as unwarranted and “absolutely uncalled for.”haasan could have confined himself to stressing the importance of education, “and we all agree that education is the biggest weapon,” she said.as for neet, she pointed out it was introduced in 2013 even before the bjp came to power.the exam was not just for tamil nadu but for the whole country. when all other states, and students and parents in tamil nadu, do not have an issue with neet, why make it political, she asked.in2023, dmk leader and deputy chief minister udhayanidhi stalin's comment linking sanatan dharma to dengue and malaria sparked a huge controversy and court petitions.