What was billed as a celebration of 15 years of social service by the Agaram Foundation turned into a carefully curated public relations event for actor Suriya and his political allies. While the event aimed to highlight educational initiatives for underprivileged students, the presence of actor-politician Kamal Haasan and the nature of Suriya’s own speech made it difficult to ignore the underlying political messaging and image management at play.
Actor-politician and Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan, now Rajya Sabha MP at the mercy of the DMK, on Sunday 3 August 2025, abused Sanatana Dharma during his address at the 15th anniversary celebrations of the Agaram Foundation in Chennai, calling education “the only weapon that can break the chains of dictatorship and Sanatan”.
What DMK Stooge Kamal Haasan Said
Speaking at the event organised by actor Suriya’s education charity, Haasan emphasised the transformative power of education and called for deeper investment in knowledge systems and social empowerment.
“Don’t take anything else in your hands, only education. We cannot win without it, because the majority can make you lose. Majority fools (Moodargal) will make you lose; knowledge alone will seem defeated. That’s why we must hold on to it (education) firmly,” he said.
Haasan drew a clear line between performance in cinema and service to society, saying, “In cinema, we are crowned for our performances. But in social work, we are given a crown of thorns. It takes a strong heart to accept that crown. No one else will do this for us, we have to do it ourselves.”
He praised the Agaram Foundation for providing educational support to underprivileged children, stating, “True education and unconditional love are hard to come by. Apart from our mothers, institutions like Agaram Foundation are among the few places where we can still find them.”
Taking a direct swipe at the NEET policy implemented in 2017, Haasan said the exam had crushed the dreams of medical aspirants from marginalised communities in Tamil Nadu. “You can’t see doctors of such a batch next year. There is a reason for what I’m saying, as after 2017, they are unable to continue their efforts. Now do you understand why we oppose NEET? Since 2017, that law has made such children unable to get education,” he said.
“Even Agaram Foundation, despite its best efforts, cannot help students beyond a point because the law doesn’t allow it. To change the law, we need strength and that strength can only come from education,” he added.
Sharing a recent conversation with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Haasan said, “Yesterday, I told the Chief Minister that NGOs were not asking for anything like money, they’re only asking for permission to work. He assured me that steps are being taken in that direction. I am proud to be involved in this cause.”
Concluding his address, Haasan offered a reflection on leadership: “Leadership is that which disappears (with time) into the society and not that stands and rules. It took me 70 years to understand this.”
Haasan’s invocation of “Sanatan” also echoes a the DMK scion’s derogatory statements to “eradicate Sanatana Dharma in 2023 at a conference by that name which caused an uproar all across the country. Udhayanidhi Stalin had stated that ‘Sanatana Dharma’ must be eradicated like diseases caused by mosquitoes, linking it to caste discrimination. While multiple cases were filed against him, the Supreme Court later barred the registration of further cases on the matter.
DMK Stooge Suriya Makes His PR
Suriya’s speech was packed with emotional appeals, crafted in a tone of humility and gratitude, but layered with subtle self-promotion and political signaling. His repeated emphasis on how alumni of Agaram are now “giving back” through volunteerism, and how ₹300 a month could change a life, served dual purposes – maintaining the foundation’s crowd-funded image while elevating Suriya as a selfless philanthropist.
“I ask with all due respect… contribute at least ₹300 per month so that the right student can reach the right student and their life will also change like this,” Suriya pleaded, subtly shifting the focus from systemic educational failures to individual generosity – a tactic often used to draw attention away from government accountability.
Suriya said, “More than 6,000 students from extremely humble backgrounds have received an education and gone on to achieve great things. Many were orphans. Today, our former students are running the programme with empathy and social awareness.” He further added, “in 2026, there will still be first-generation students.” – While he says this, he does not question the reality of the so-called Dravidian Model that he supports. Why will there be first-generation students in the 21st century if the Dravidian model has done wonders?
With this event, we have seen two leading Kollywood actors hosting “educational support” events, each carefully crafted to serve personal agendas under the guise of social service. Both talk about NEET and why it must be abolished, the importance of education, social equality, and women’s empowerment – clearly aligned with political narratives, especially as the hosts, want to build up on their PR image.
While actor Vijay, has now formally entered politics was touted as “younger Kamaraj”, Suriya portrayed him as a selfless crusader for education, with supporters likening him to a “living Abdul Kalam” – a transparent attempt at image-building. While one used the platform for direct political positioning, the other indulged in high-gloss PR, reinforcing the idea that both events, though cloaked in the language of upliftment, were ultimately about self-promotion.
While Suriya makes great claims about the foundation, it is noteworthy that Agaram Foundation, a “non-profit” organization ironically applies its own stringent selection criteria to determine which students deserve financial aid. Despite promoting the cause of educational equality, Agaram uses a rigorous scoring system to shortlist applicants, directly contradicting its stated mission.
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