Kamal Haasan pens open letter to PM Modi; criticises the nation-wide Lockdown

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, in an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, criticised implementation of 21-day national lockdown, which was imposed to control spread of coronavirus. On March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had anunced a 21-day lockdown in entire country effective from midnight of March 25 to curb  spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is only option to deal with virus. 
 
This letter from Kamal Hassan comes after many people and celebrities across India on Sunday lit candles and extended ir support to PM Narendra Modi's '9pm 9 minutes' initiative. He also said that PM is repeating mistake that he did while implementing demonetisation. He also claimed that it's being done at a much bigger scale this time. Writing this letter as a 'dismayed' citizen, Haasan started saying that he was taken aback after anuncement of lockdown.

Furr praising mass following that PM Modi enjoys as or world leader, he added: "My biggest fear is that same mistake of demonetisation is being repeated albeit at a much bigger scale. While demonetisation led to loss of savings and livelihood of poorest, this ill-planned lockdown is leading us to a fatal combination of loss of both life and livelihood. poor have body to look up to except you sir. On one hand, you are asking more privileged people to put up a spectacle of lights while on or hand, poor man's plight is itself becoming a shameful spectacle. While your world lit up oil diyas in ir balconies, poor are struggling to gar eugh oil to bake ir next roti."

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Haasan furr emphasised on plight of poor in country that this time of crisis saying, "What about those who don't even have a roof on ir heads?. History has proven that any efforts to destroy bottom has led to toppling of top.

Furrmore, Haasan took a jibe at late realisation of government over pandemic and said,

"As per Chinese government''s official statement to WHO, first confirmed case was reported on 8th December. Even if you concede fact that world took a lot of time to understand gravity of situation, by early February, entire world knew that this is going to wreak havoc of an unprecedented kind. India''s first case was reported on 30th of January. We had seen what happened to Italy. Yet, we did t learn our lessons early eugh. When we eventually woke out of our slumber, you ordered an entire nation of 1.4 bn people to shut down within 4 hours. A mere 4 hour tice period for people when you had a 4 month tice period! Visionary leaders are ones who work on solutions long before problems become big.

Kamal Haasan ended letter saying that although angry, he is on Prime Minister's side. Read full letter here- 

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