Actor-politician and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan has voiced his support for students protesting over the NEET controversy, criticising what he described as deep flaws within India's education system. His remarks come as demonstrations continue across the country, with protesters demanding accountability, reforms and justice following allegations surrounding the medical entrance examination.
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Kamal Haasan Criticises Education System
The actor shared a post on X (formerly Twitter), expressing concern over the plight of students and the handling of the ongoing protests. Without directly naming NEET, he suggested that the existing system had failed young people by prioritising coaching over learning and replacing merit with wrongdoing.
Haasan wrote, "We should have listened when one child cried. Instead, we waited until far too many of our children died. A system where coaching replaces learning, anxiety replaces curiosity, and criminality replaces merit is rotten. A nation has failed when its children are met with barricades and batons instead of answers."
Appeal To Sonam Wangchuk
Alongside backing the students, Haasan also appealed to social activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is currently on an indefinite fast, asking him to end his protest.
He wrote, "@Wangchuk66, the nation will need your conscience for the journey ahead. Please end your fast."
Addressing the country's students directly, he added, "To the children of India: You are the best of us. You have done your duty. It is now time for the country to do its duty by you. May your dreams forever be bigger than our failures."
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Film Industry Voices Support
Haasan's statement adds to a growing list of voices from the film industry expressing solidarity with the protesting students.
Actor Salman Khan previously described the alleged NEET paper leak as a "very serious issue". Other personalities, including Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Aditi Rao Hydari, Huma Qureshi, Shabana Azmi, Prakash Raj, Chinmayi Sripada, R Madhavan, Rajkummar Rao and Anupam Kher, have also spoken publicly in support of the students.