Nation failed its children: Kamal Haasan blames broken system, backs CJP protest

Actor and politician Kamal Haasan shared a post on X in support of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest, as support for the students in New Delhi continued to grow from members of the film industry. His post came amid wider calls for attention to the students' demands.In his message, Haasan spoke about the condition of the education system, referred to the deaths of children, and said the country had failed them. He also appealed to Sonam Wanghcuk to end his fast and addressed the children of India directly.Haasan wrote, "We should have listened when one child cried. Instead, we waited until far too many of our children died. A system where coaching replaces learning, anxiety replaces curiosity, and criminality replaces merit is rotten. A nation has failed when its children are met with barricades and batons instead of answers."We should have listened when one child cried.Instead, we waited until far too many of our children died.A system where coaching replaces learning, anxiety replaces curiosity, and criminality replaces merit is rotten.A nation has failed when its children are met with— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) July 23, 2026Tagging Wangchuk, he added, "the nation will need your conscience for the journey ahead. Please end your fast." He then wrote, "To the children of India: You are the best of us. You have done your duty. It is now time for the country to do its duty by you. May your dreams forever be bigger than our failures." He also tagged CJP and used the hashtag #CJPProtest. Haasan's post came as several actors spoke about the protest and expressed solidarity with the students. Salman Khan is among them and described the NEET paper leak as a "very serious issue" in a strongly worded note.Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Aditi Rao Hydari, Huma Qureshi, Shabana Azmi, Prakash Raj, Chinmayi Sripada, R Madhavan, Rajkummar Rao and Anupam Kher are among others from the film industry who have spoken out on the protest and empathised with the students. Haasan's post added to those calls, backing the CJP protests and urging the country to do its duty by the children of India. - EndsPublished By: shweta keshriPublished On: Jul 23, 2026 13:04 IST