'Who is he to talk about Mahabharata?': Hindu outfit files complaint against Kamal Haasan

Calling the actor "anti-Hindu", the Hindu Makkal Katchi said that his comments have hurt their religious sentiments.
'Who is he to talk about Mahabharata?': Hindu outfit files complaint against Kamal Haasan
'Who is he to talk about Mahabharata?': Hindu outfit files complaint against Kamal Haasan
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Members of the Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) have lodged a police complaint against actor Kamal Haasan, accusing him of making derogatory remarks against Hindus.

On Wednesday, members of the party submitted the complaint at the Chennai City Police Commissionerate, The Hindu reported.

In a recent interview to Tamil channel Puthiya Thalamurai editor Karthigaichelvan, Haasan, while referring to Mahabharata, said that a woman is gambled away in the epic and that India honours such a book.

Speaking to The News Minute, Rama Ravikumar, state Secretary of HMK, called the actor "anti-Hindu" and said that his comments have hurt their religious sentiments.

"Kamal Haasan said that Mahabharata talks about a woman (Draupadi) who was used as a pawn and was gambled away, and that this country reads such a book. There was no need for him to say these things. It has hurt our sentiments and who is he to talk about the Mahabharata?" he asked.

He continued, "Will he ever speak against the Quran or the Bible like this? When Vishwaroopam released, Muslims (several groups) had protested against the movie (for allegedly depicting the community in a negative light). He had then said that there is no safety in this state, and that he should go somewhere else and live."

Rama said that Kamal should not be speaking against a book which is read and believed by so many people.

"He does not have the guts to talk against any other religion. He is an anti-Hindu person, so we complained against him. If he talks against the Quran or the Bible, the minorities will protest and create a problem for him. We have been suffering for long but haven't been saying anything.

The Commissioner, he added, has told them that necessary action will be taken against the Dasavathaaram actor.

According to an IBT report, the Akila Hindu Mahasabha has also filed a complaint against the actor for the same with the Collector in Coimbatore. Protesting against the actor, the activists tore his photographs and some even tried to burn his effigy in Erode, but were stopped by the police. 

Excerpts from the interview:

Q: You said that there should be social justice principles... but the problem is that there are still honour killings-

A: That shouldn't happen! Is there anything more disgusting? We claim we're forward, we talk on cell phones... But we're still a place where we do honour killings... We still take pride in controlling women... Looks like we haven't come past the gambling game in Mahabharatham. Looks like we're only reading just that in Mahabharatham. Even if you're living by the Mahabharatham, looks like you haven't gone past that one chapter.

Q: In recent times, we've seen a lot of news about violence against women, particularly violence against women in the film industry. How do you see this? What do you think are the reasons for the increase in these crimes?

A: There are more media houses now, so it all looks big. It should (look big). I'm not saying don't make a big deal of it. As I said - where did this come from - in Mahabharatham they gambled a woman, and that's being read as a book by this country. In this place where they've published it as a big book and they keep praising it, such incidents are not surprising. "A woman should be like this!" Even I have choreographed for MGR's songs, "Pombala siricha pochu, Pugayalai viricha pochu." Are a tobacco leaf and a woman the same? These were not MGR's views, must have been the views of the writer. But those were the populist views then. The views of the men. "A woman should be modest, she shouldn't step out," they used to say at one point. The question "why" has been raised now. Those questions will come now. And they will speak against the temples and others. Change will come within religion. Just like the Protestant movement exploded within Christianity, there will be opposing voices inside religions. So won't the voices like ours from outside religion not be heard? 

Q: You said that there should be social justice principles... but the problem is still that there are honour killings-

A: That shouldn't happen! Is there anything more disgusting? We claim we're forward, we talk on cell phones... But we're still a place where we do honour killings... We still take pride in controlling women... Looks like we haven't come past the gambling game in Mahabharatham. Looks like we're only reading just that in Mahabharatham. Even if you're living by the Mahabharatham, looks like you haven't gone past that one chapter.

Q: In recent times, we've seen a lot of news about violence against women, particularly violence against women in the film industry. How do you see this? What do you think are the reasons for the increase in these crimes?

A: There are more media houses now, so it all looks big. It should (look big). I'm not saying don't make a big deal of it. As I said - where did this come from - in Mahabharatham they gambled a woman, and that's being read as a book by this country. In this place where they've published it as a big book and they keep praising it, such incidents are not surprising. "A woman should be like this!" Even I have choreographed for MGR's songs, "Pombala siricha pochu, Pugayalai viricha pochu." Are a tobacco leaf and a woman the same? These were not MGR's views, must have been the views of the writer. But those were the populist views then. The views of the men. "A woman should be modest, she shouldn't step out," they used to say at one point. The question "why" has been raised now. Those questions will come now. And they will speak against the temples and others. Change will come within religion. Just like the Protestant movement exploded within Christianity, there will be opposing voices inside religions. So won't the voices like ours from outside religion not be heard? 

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