Actor-politician Kamal Haasan on Friday said it was ignorance that made Mughals give the name ‘Hindu’ to the nation.
In a tweet, Haasan said the 12 Alwars (Vaishnavitepoet-saints) or the 63 Nayanmars (Saivaite poet-saints) did not mention theword Hindu.
Haasan said the term ‘Hindu’ was given by Moghals or byothers who came earlier to rule. The British who later ruled the nationseconded the term.
“When we have various identities, it is ignorance tohave a title given by a foreigner as a religion,” Haasan said.
According to Haasan, even though the identity `Indian’ is ofrecent origin, it will live long.
Haasan said it was on the part of commercial politics andspiritualism to restrict “our vast nation into a religion”.On May 12, Haasan said while campaigning at theAravakuruchi Assembly constituency about the killer of Mahatma Gandhi:”The first extremist of independent India was a Hindu — NathuramGodse. Itall started from there.”