In a recent interview, Tamil superstar Ajith spoke out against the culture of freebies in Indian politics. For a celebrity who is not into politics to say such a thing categorically is quite gutsy.
It wouldn't be wrong to argue that Ajith is courageously opinionated in a country where most celebs have stopped being vocal about what is politically incorrect. Film stars across industries make noises to please the powers-that-be, not to educate the masses. Tamil stars want to look cool in the eyes of the DMK establishment; they never raise their voice when the ruling party is likely to be offended. Telugu stars are too scared to even mouth a passing dialogue on burning governance issues in the Telugu States; they pine for photo-ops with CMs and Ministers. In this context, Ajith is an odd man out.
Ajith has condemned the freebie culture at the cost of sounding elitist. Many Tamils are criticizing him for being 'blind' to ground realities in a relatively poor country. At the same time, he has received online support. "What is to be condemned? To encourage people to stand on their own legs, work hard and earn on their own and raise their family than depend on govt give outs? Ajith is bold and absolutely right in seeking a hard working self respecting society that value a honest day’s work based livelihood," CV Krishnan wrote.
There are issues that deserve bipartisan consensus. Why can't Telugu stars take a leaf out of Ajith's interview and express opinions that affect the present and future?
