Author:
Publication: Goa Chronicle.com
Date:  April 7, 2020
URL:      https://goachronicle.com/open-letter-to-kamal-haasan-what-would-you-have-done-differently-than-narendra-modi/

It is with great interest I read your open letter – Mr Kamal Haasan – to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.

I am a firm believer of the constitutional right of an Indian citizen to share his views with political leaders of our nation fearlessly and informatively.

I am however, sceptical of the nature of people who take the liberty of the freedom of expression to criticise incoherently without offering a solution or telling the citizens of India the measures that they would have taken differently to deal with a crisis.

You must agree Mr Kamal Haasan – that the coronavirus pandemic is a health crisis that has strained some of the most brilliant minds in the world in the most sanitised and reportedly health-conscious nations in the world. The nature of the virus is still being studied and nations are acting in their limited wisdom to the best that they can. Of course, in hindsight when you analyse, each nation could have acted differently.

In fact to be more blunt, if the World Health Organisation and its Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acted responsibly and not turned a blind-eye to China’s misinformation on the human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus, we the world, would not be facing this pandemic.

In India we have not come out of the danger zone yet, but, we are collectively fighting it. With each citizen contributing to ensuring that the spread of the virus in India, does not take a catastrophic turn. That turn will turn India into a graveyard.

In this time of crisis, in my humble understanding, celebrities who have a fan following must act more responsibly than an average citizen. They must act as channels of peace and hope rather than channels of confusion, fear and chaos.

India will overcome the coronavirus pandemic and emerge as a leader by it’s tenacious and assertive dealing with this pandemic. It will be because of the leadership of Narendra Modi and because of the people of our nation. We as a nation know how to put aside our differences and rally together to fight a war. And this is a war with an unseen and unknown enemy.

Mr Kamal Haasan in your entire critical letter to Narendra Modi, you wrote incoherently and without any objective. The entire letter was a release of pent up biased frustration akin to a dog barking and chasing car, not knowing what it would do, if the car stops and it is asked to get into the car. Much like the analogy given about the Joker by the Joker in the movie The Dark Knight.

I wanted to take your letter apart, piece by piece but I realised it would be a waste of my time and my intellect. Both of which I use sparingly, especially with celebrities. I have very scant respect for their intellectual prowess.

So after reading your elaborate letter which contained your negativity. I have only one question for you Mr Kamal Haasan.

What you have done differently from the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic in India?

It has been 24-hours since I asked you this question on Twitter. I have not received an answer yet. I hope you have an answer to my simple question.

While it is your right to question the Prime Minister. It my right to question you as a citizen and a journalist.

If you cannot answer my question. Do our nation a favour. Please stick to acting in reel life and not real life. You real life roles are turning to be flop after flop. It is embarrassing.