When the existing alliances implode and personas change, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) will announce its alliance, said its founder Kamal Haasan here on Tuesday, as part his campaign tour. But, MNM’s primary alliance was with the people and the people are showing the way to him, said the actor-turned politician.
Alluding to the latent factionalism in the AIADMK under its leaders Edappadi K. Palaniswami and O. Paneerselvam, Mr. Kamal Hassan said the ‘twin leaves’ of the party was intended to be nurtured as a banyan tree by the MGR. “But today, two men were sitting and eating off the two leaves, fighting for power. They are going to break the chair pulling it from either side.”
Hinting that the existing alliances will implode, the MNM leader said, his party’s alliance will be decided then. “Some nests will break, and personas will change. That day I will tell who we align with. Our alliance is only with the people and it is already showing in every district as people come in waves to show their support.”
On some of the AIADMK Ministers’ exclusive claim to MGR ‘s legacy, Mr. Kamal Hassan said, he staked claim to the political stage as someone, who was lucky to have been nurtured by MGR as a child. “In that sense, any good man can stake claim to MGR’s name and it was not patented for use by any single man or party.”
“Those who mocked us when we declared salary for housewives are now approaching us to ask how much would we pay. Today, intellectuals have lauded our promise of equal pay for housewives for their work done at home”, said Mr. Kamal Hassan. MNM had released a seven- point governance and economic agenda last month, wherein, the party has promised salary for housework done by women as homemakers.
His party had also announced free computers for each household.
Dismissing the criticism that he was indulging in “freebies”, Mr. Haasan said computer was an essential human resource investment for any government and would strike at the heart of corruption induced by long queues for government services.
Speaking of a prosperity line as opposed to the poverty line, the MNM leader, said for over half a century, rulers spoke of the poverty line and failed to pull up people over that line. “We have come here to help you rise over to the prosperity line to the extent that, even you slip down, you still won’t fall below the poverty line.” On his party’s idea of governance, Mr. Haasan said, “I don’t believe in heaven and hell, but I believe, where living conditions are better, that place is heaven.”
The MNM leader positioned himself as a “tool” of the people and not as a leader. According to him, the people should decide what is good for them and the rulers cannot decide for them. “Under MNM, services will a public right and not any government’s charity.” Reacting to the rousing reception given by a massive crowd in Dharmapuri, the actor-turned politician said, this was a crowd that had gathered to support him for change, and not for currency.
Referring to the start of the women’s SHG movement in 1989 in Dharmapuri, Mr. Haasan said, the district was a social laboratory enabling a successful social experiment of SHGs. Similarly, under the MNM, the district will be part of many such social experiments.
Earlier, Mr. Kamal Haasan met 87-year- old Sivakami Amma, a freedom fighter, who was part of the Indian National Army of Subhash Chandra Bose.