Rajya Sabha MP and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan on Sunday delivered a powerful message on the transformative power of education, calling it the only weapon capable of dismantling dictatorship and Sanatan ideology. He was speaking at an event organised by the Agaram Foundation in Chennai.
“Education is the only weapon that can break the chains of dictatorship and Sanatan,” Haasan said, urging youth to prioritize knowledge above all else. “Don’t take anything else in your hands, only education. We cannot win without it. The majority can make you lose — majority fools (moodargal) can defeat you — but only education, though it may appear to lose, actually wins in the long run,” he said.
Praising the Agaram Foundation for its efforts in promoting education, he said, “True education and unconditional love are rare. Apart from our mothers, institutions like Agaram are among the few places where both can still be found.”
Drawing a contrast between recognition in cinema and social service, Haasan said, “In films, we wear crowns of fame. But in social work, we wear crowns of thorns. It takes a strong heart to bear that. No one else will do it for us — we must do it ourselves.”
He criticized the NEET exam system, which has been in place since 2017, saying it has created obstacles for many students. “Even Agaram Foundation, with all its efforts, can’t help beyond a point — the law doesn’t allow it. To change the law, we need strength, and that strength can only come through education,” he asserted.
Sharing insights from a conversation with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Haasan noted that NGOs were not seeking money, but simply the freedom to work. “The Chief Minister assured me that steps are being taken in that direction. I am proud to be part of this cause,” he added.
Concluding his speech, Haasan reflected on leadership and legacy: “True leaders are often forgotten, even as their impact remains. Leadership isn’t about staying in power — it’s about creating change, even if your name vanishes. It’s taken me 70 years to understand this.”