Soon after it became clear that VK Sasikala is all set to become the next CM of Tamil Nadu, the third woman to hold the position in TN, a flurry of reactions poured in on social media, from anger and dismay to disapproval.
But it is not every day that a famous actor like Kamal Haasan has the courage to comment on political affairs of the state, even indirectly.
Late on Sunday, the actor tweeted:
பீலிபெய் சாகாடும் அச்சிறும் அப்பண்டஞ் சால மிகுத்துப் பெயின்.
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) February 5, 2017
குறள்
(பிழை நீக்கியது)
The Thirukkural can be translated to, “With peacock feathers light, you load the wain; Yet, heaped too high, the axle snaps in twain” meaning, as The Hindu puts it, “You might be loading a cart with just peacock feathers but if the load exceeds capacity it will break the cart”.
In the context of Sasikala, it could mean that if you push the people of the state too hard, there eventually might be a revolt you cannot handle.
Perhaps this doesn’t mean anything, and has nothing to do with Sasikala’s moves.
But if his recent statements on the state’s politics are anything to go by, Kamal is watching what is happening around him, and itching to speak up.
Speaking to the press during the jallikattu protests at Marina beach in Chennai, the veteran actor had hit out against the government and the political class of the state for not addressing people’s concerns
“We can almost imagine that if MGR was the CM now, he would have gone to the beach and joined the protesters,” he had said.