Kamal Haasan, one of the superstars in Tamil film industry, who had informed his fans to be ready for an important announcement on November 7 (which happens to be his 64th birthday) gave further credence on Saturday to reports that he would soon join active politics.
The actor, who had hitherto confined his political activities in social media platforms made a surprise appearance in fishing hamlets lying along the Kosasthaliyar river in North Chennai and interacted with fishermen and their families.
Kosasthaliyar, once a treasure house of shrimps, is facing the threat of destruction due to unauthorised construction activities by the Kamarajar Port. Fishermen along the river bank used to earn their livelihood by spreading fishing nets across the backwaters. But the last one year saw authorities of the port launching construction activities in the river reportedly to build roads, bridges and coal conveyer facilities. This has almost destroyed the river causing enormous hardship to the fishing community numbering more than a lakh members who stay along the bank.
Fishermen have been complaining about the construction activities that have been undertaken without customary environment clearance from the Ministry of environment, forests and climate change. Though environmental activists and leaders of fishing communities had intimated the Government about the disastrous impacts due to the construction activities their pleas fell in deaf ears. Fishermen's unions have been charging that the entire construction activities were in violation of the coastal regulation zone laws which prohibit any buildings within 500 meters of the High Tide line.
“We have already lost 1,090 acres of ecologically sensitive land due to encroachment. If the authorities go ahead with the construction activities in this river, it would spell doom for 10 lakh residents of North Chennai,” Haasan wrote in his social media page before driving down to the site in a swanky SUV.
Besides, Kamarajar Port, two public sector oil companies have their refineries along the river bank. “The oil companies are also going ahead with construction of buildings. The two major thermal power stations have been duping fly ash into the river. There is another project to usurp 1,000 acres of land by the port authorities. The encroachments along the river are a recipe to major natural disasters. There is every possibility of major floods devastating the entire northern Chennai,” Haasan wrote in his social media site.
Superstar Rajnikanth, a contemporary of Kamal Haasan, who too has set his eyes on a political career has not reacted to any major issues till now. leaders of political parties who had opposed the political dreams of Rajnikanth have welcomed the move by Haasan to launch his political outfit. Haasan has made it known that his political colour would not be saffron. To establish his secular credentials, the actor recently lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the demonetisation declared by him on November 8, 2016. “It was a disaster and the Prime Minister should apologise to the people of the country,” tweeted Haasan.
While most of the parties maintained a wait and watch policy, the BJP criticised the actor for "political gimmicks". Tamilissai Sounderarajan, state BJP chief, ridiculed Haasan for his new found love for fishermen and other sections of the society. “lets see how he is going to perform as a politician in real life,” she said,