I am not here to make news: Kamal Haasan

Kamal Haasan Constantly In The News For Bigg Boss, His IconocalsticViews and Potshots At  Politics And Politicians, Created A furore On Thursday Evening When He Shared A Platform  With DMK Supporters & Apparently Took A  Potshot At Rajinikanth Who Sat In The Audience. So Is Kamal Haasan Joining Politics? He Talks To Subhash K Jha

You are back in the news again?

This is not what I want to do , or be. I am not here to make news. I have much larger plans which have nothing to do with me.

You mean you are finally taking a plunge into active politics?

Did I say that? What  makes you think that?

You were on  the  platform at a DMK event  on Thursday?

I was, and I am glad I did. I was there not  as a political  animal  but in support  of and admiration for the DMK’s newspaper  Murasoliwhich completed  75 years….75 years  in this era  of instant  news and  overnight journalism! Wouldn’t you want me to be there with you when you complete 75 years?

I doubt it?

What? That you will complete 75 years? Or that I will be  on stage  with  you?

Both. But tell me when you  made that jibe from the stage  about how you would rather do things for selfrespect  than self defence were yoy  aiming at Rajinikanth?

Nooooooo. Why would  I want to  take  a  jibe at my friend and colleague whom I’ve known  and loved for  40 years? Mr Jha, you want me to heckle  a dear friend?

Well  it seemed like that’s exactly what you were doing?

Then it seemed wrong. I  was taking an aim at  all those who refuse to stand up against corruption. When you  don’t take  a stand  against corruption you tacitly support it. And I am  not talking about only the corruption in Tamil politics. I am looking at  a pan-Dravidian India, freed of corruption.

How can you singlehandedly free India politics of corruption?

Let me at least try. Do you mind? If my idol Mahatma Gandhi could fight to eradicate corruption at the age  of  78, why can’t I  try at 60?

Do do you see corruption as the  scourge  of Indian politics?

I absolutely do. And I want to fight it until my dying breath. The whites(British colonists) took their skin-deep whiteness with them but left behind the blackness of corruption. Today that blackness is destroying the very fabric  of our democracy.

 What according to you, is the solution?

A  performance-oriented democracy.  Make our  representatives in parliament accountable. They cannot sit in power for  five years without showing results.We should work towards a legislation to sack non-performing politicians. This  may not happen during my lifetime. But I will try for it anyway.

Are  you joining the DMK?

That question again! Mr Jha, are you looking for your headline for the day? No  I am not joining the DMK. But I am in support of any organization that stands against  corruption. Like I said, I was up there to support their newspaper’s platinum jubilee. They(the DMK) had sent  me  a telegram to join  their party  30 years ago.

Are you responding to that telegram now?

No ,I would rather be like Mahatma Gandhi, sending out my own telegrams to the world. In fact my daughters call me Bapu.

What according to you ails Indian politics?

We are not exercising  our democratic rights properly. We need to stop looking for  solutions in  others. All of are politicians , waiting for our political calling.If we don’t listen to those warnings within our heart we will destroy our hard-earned freedom.