As the debate over artists returning their awards to protest the rising intolerance in the country rages on, actor Kamal Haasan on Tuesday made it clear that he will not return his National Award.
I won't do it. That's my right," Haasan said as he was addressing the media at a press conference. "Returning awards will not have any effect... It is also necessary for them (the people returning awards) to be tolerant," Haasan said.
Kamal Haasan spoke out about the returning of awards by notable luminaries in the field of art and cinema in India. "Award Wapsi is a futile exercise, intolerance must be defeated intellectually." He also added that nothing would happen by returning these awards as one is only likely to insult the government or the people who gave you the awards with love.
The actor said that there were many other ways in which attention could be brought to the issue at hand. He iterated that he will not return his National Award and insult the government. He has chosen to keep himself out of the anti-intolerance protest.
Many writers have returned their Sahitya Akademi Award while some of those in Indian film industry returned their National Award.
