One nation, one election ‘dangerous’: Kamal Haasan

PTI, Chennai: One nation, one election proposal is ‘dangerous’, flawed and its scars still exist in some countries and hence it is not needed for India and it will not be required in future too, top actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder leader Kamal Haasan said here on Saturday. Without naming any party or leader, Haasan said had simultaneous polls been held in 2014 or 2015, it would have led to a complete sweep, resulting in dictatorship, loss of freedom of speech and dominance of a single leader. “You should understand that we have escaped from it...we have escaped from a disease more virulent than Coronavirus,” he said addressing a party meet, apparently indicating that polls about a decade ago had been conducted without embracing the one nation, one election concept.

Though Haasan pointed to Europe and Russia when he commented on simultaneous polls, he did not specify any single country where it had failed. What would happen if all traffic lights glow in the same colour at the same time, he asked and said people should be given time to think and pick their choice. The MNM chief said he was advised against entering politics and even hosting the Bigg Boss show. He asked what was wrong in utilising any opportunity that paved the way for meeting and interacting with people. Since his childhood, when he was about four years old, he is ‘on stage’ and he is familiar with the limelight, being an actor. “This is not an addiction, but way of my life.

This is the message life tells me. That is why I chose politics.” If a film does not perform well at the box office, producers would say ‘no’ to an actor. But, people are not like that. “They will remember. They will remember even a failed politician.” Haasan asserted that he referred only to himself as a failed politician and added that failure is not a ‘permanent position’ and the post of Prime Minister is also not a ‘permanent position.’