Insult languages, get RS seat? Kamal Haasan reads DMK script in politics

New Delhi: Even before he could take oath as a Member of Parliament, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan finds himself at the centre of a full-blown language row, one he appears to have scripted himself. 

A day before Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK allotted a Rajya Sabha seat to Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), the actor claimed “Tamil gave birth to Kannada”, a statement that has drawn sharp condemnation from Karnataka’s political leadership and cultural groups.

Haasan’s comment, made at the Chennai audio launch of his film Thug Life, is now being viewed as more than a casual slip. 

Critics call it a deliberate provocation, a political signal designed for his Tamil base, where linguistic pride often takes precedence. 

“Kamal Haasan should be ashamed of himself,” said Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra, demanding an unconditional apology. “He has insulted Kannada, a language with a history of more than 2,500 years. This is not the first time he has hurt cultural sentiments, earlier it was Hinduism, now it’s Kannada. Is this the first qualification to enter Parliament in Tamil Nadu?”

The BJP leader also questioned Haasan’s credentials to comment on language history: “Is Kamal Haasan a historian? Kannada has stood tall for centuries not only in India but across the world. Kannadigas are not language haters, but we will never sacrifice self-respect.”

Pro-Kannada group Karnataka Rakshana Vedike went a step further. Its chief Praveen Shetty said the group intended to confront Haasan at his Bengaluru promotional event but the actor “fled the venue before we arrived.” “If you want to release films here and do business in Karnataka, stop insulting Kannada and Kannadigas,” Shetty warned.

Meanwhile, in a carefully timed move that further complicates the narrative, DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday announced that one of the four Rajya Sabha seats the party is contesting will go to MNM, essentially nominating Kamal Haasan to Parliament.

In Tamil Nadu, where political rhetoric often leans on linguistic pride, Haasan’s statement fits a familiar pattern, one that fuels cultural superiority under the guise of regional pride. But observers are now questioning the double standards: “If insulting another Indian language is what gets you a Rajya Sabha seat, what does that say about political reward systems?” asked a political analyst.

Others point to the irony. “Haasan conveniently forgets that Tamil itself draws inspirations from Sanskrit. Language evolution isn’t about purity, it’s about shared histories,” said a linguist.

As Kamal Haasan prepares to enter the Upper House of Parliament, questions are now being raised not only about his politics, but about whether he represents the voice of southern inclusivity or a narrower brand of cultural exceptionalism that pits one Indian identity against another.

Tamil and Kannada: Shared history, not tivalry

Tamil and Kannada are both part of the Dravidian language family, among the oldest in the world.

Tamil has a recorded literary history dating back to 2nd century BCE, including texts like Tholkappiyam.

Kannada’s earliest known inscriptions date to the 5th century CE, with the Kavirajamarga (9th century) being the first known literary work.

Over centuries, Sanskrit, Prakrit, and regional interactions shaped both languages. Tamil, though older in literature, did not "give birth" to Kannada. Instead, the two evolved in parallel from proto-Dravidian roots.