In a surprising u-turn, actor Kamal Haasan has apologised to the people for supporting the Centre’s demonetisation policy. The actor, whose political ambitions are well-known, issued an apology in a column for Tamil magazine Vikatan.
In the column, titled “A big apology”, Kamal writes: “I owe it to the people to apologise for supporting the plan in a hurry.”
The actor was among several celebrities who tweeted in support of demonetisation last November 2016. He had then tweeted: “Salute Mr Modi. This move has to be celebrated across political party lines. Most importantly by earnest tax payers.”
Noting that he was not the kind of person who was afraid of apologising, Kamal went on to write that he had supported the Centre’s policy as he thought it would help eradicate black money. He said that at the time, he thought that the public should bear the small inconveniences that arise out of demonetisation.
Many of my comrades and some people who understand economics called me and criticised me for my views. Later I consoled myself saying that while the plan was good, there may have been some problems with implementation.Kamal Haasan
When more economists spoke out against demonetisation, he told himself that while the intention of the policy was good, it was not practical, he writes.
But with more critics raising their voice against demonetisation, Kamal said he was filled with doubt as the government did not have a strong response to the criticism.
While apologising to people for supporting the move, Ulaganayagan argues that good leaders accept their mistakes.
If the PM accepts his mistake without being adamant, then one more salaam is waiting for him from me. The sign of a good leader is when they can rectify their mistakes and more importantly when the can accept they made a mistake. Gandhi was able to do it, today also it is possible.
The actor’s apology comes at a time when speculation is mounting about his political entry in Tamil Nadu. It also comes just weeks after he had praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for several of his pet initiatives, including demonetisation.
When asked about his views on Modi by India Today in September, he had said: “He has tried while others only promised. That is why I went across party lines, when some of my friends who knew about my ideologies asked why did you say nice things about him. Swachh Bharat is a good idea. Demonetisation is a good idea. I am not an economist. But now there is criticism about it. Let’s see till proven guilty, we will not jump to conclusion”.
(This article was originally published on The News Minute and has been reposted with permission)
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