It is difficult not to feel shock and sorrow at the avoidable loss of 39 lives in the ghastly stampede that swept through a rally of Tamil film star-politician Vijay in Karur. As the leader of the recently launched party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the actor has drawn massive crowds to his rallies in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly election. His latest road show descended into deadly chaos on Saturday as waves of fans, including a large number of women, many carrying young children, thronged the venue for hours in the hope of catching a close glimpse of the 51-year-old actor.
It is an unspeakable tragedy that at least 10 children and 17 women were among those who lost their lives in the stampede, and the unusual profile of the victims indicates there were more fans than political workers; scores of people were injured. The macabre night has left Tamil Nadu’s politics charged, ahead of what promises to be one of the most closely contested state elections in recent times, where TVK plans to make its debut.
Vijay’s supporters accuse the ruling DMK of deliberately scaling down security arrangements, while his opponents allege that his conquest-style road shows, accompanied by an army of goggle-eyed fans, unmindful of safety, precipitated the disaster. The actual cause of the stampede will have to be gone into by an impartial commission of inquiry. Given the scope for politics even in a probe, the state government instituted one by a retired judge within hours, arguably hoping to pre-empt litigation or even suo motu judicial cognisance of the tragedy; the BJP has called for a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry.
Chief Minister MK Stalin rushed to Karur, offered a Rs 10 lakh solatium for bereaved families, and a battery of ministers supervised care for the injured.
Stampedes at temple festivals and even government-organised events have occurred in Tamil Nadu in the past, with a toll in the single digits. For political rallies, the state government unwisely moved away from the traditional practice of allocating large open venues with adequate circulating space.
There is considerable partisan wrangling after the Karur stampede over the site allowed for a matinee idol’s rally by police; visuals of the event show crowds swelling in a limited space. Moreover, an updated protocol for massive gatherings is lacking, for which the district administration must bear full responsibility. Many in the crowd were dehydrated. Standardising venues and procedures and making it public will remove any accusations of bias towards the ruling party and ensure equal opportunity.
This should be the first order priority rather than waiting to galvanise the official machinery after disaster strikes. Politically, the DMK government has the delicate task of acting impartially, which should include fixing administrative responsibility and any rule-breaking by Vijay, while avoiding the consolidation of his fan base at the hustings.
