The Karur stampede at actor Vijay’s political rally recently where over 40 persons lost their lives reflects yet another gory incident in the stampede-saga. Stampede, a stark reality, has been a confronting factor among people and an unembellished challenge for the authorities wherever humongous gatherings have taken place in the country. Be it politicians, film actors, religious gatherings, the deaths of unsuspecting people, whose immense spirits are doused at the end of the show, has remained a haunting factor in a populous country such as India. These tragedies are not just confined to one region but are spread across the nation.
In this incident, the TVK party chief Vijay, who is preparing the ground for the next elections in Tamil Nadu, for the first time since the formation of his political outfit, appears too eager to gain grounds to muster political mileage. He has hit the roads much in advance to impress voters. There are varying reports of the size of the crowd but the disaster has struck. Reaching the Karur venue from Namakkal late by more than 6 hours had tired a waiting crowd that had steadfastly waited for his arrival. When it comes to cinema culture, there is no match to the die-hard fans in Tamil Nadu. Perhaps, this case too there were more people to have a closer glimpse of Vijay, who is a popular screen hero.
A political slugfest has now started and it is all but natural. All of those political units will dabble in muddy waters to upstage the other over the calamity. The ruling DMK government has announced a sum of Rs. 10 lakh each to the kin of the deceased. But, who is responsible for the catastrophe? The usual blame game has started with all the “actors” involved in the tragic drama being held responsible. The state government blamed Vijay for the incident. However, Vijay says “his heart is shattered” at the unexpected turn of events.
let us revisit Bengaluru stampede that happened in the aftermath of RCB’s IPL victory not long ago. As many as 11 persons died in the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede. The state government put the onus on the police. The police were made scapegoats. Repercussions showed up in the form of suspension of police officers who were in charge of the event, including the then Bengaluru City Commissioner of Police. Other actors were the KSCA, organisers and their officials involved, RCB itself. One common factor in the stampede cases is that all state governments are too quick to announce ex-gratia to the kin of the dead and those injured.
The Hathras stampede in the state of Uttar Pradesh in July 2024 where over 120 persons died in a religious gathering is afresh in one’s memory. The January 2025 stampede at the Prayag Kumbh Mela in which 30 devotees lost their lives, the Tirupathi stampede in January early this year where six persons died, death of a woman in the Telegu actor Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2 premier screenings, are unpleasant reminders of the ghastly stampede incidents. Have we not leant lessons from these disasters?
Should be police be held responsible for such grave lapses? Do they not have the estimate of the crowd that is likely to gather at a specified event. In Karur too, some TV channels estimated the crowd to be just around 30,000 while it ranged from a lakh to two lakh in others. Actor Vijay reached the destination 6 hours behind schedule. The police certainly had enough time to estimate the crowd in what is stated to be a very “limited space” to accommodate such a big crowd. Then, the District authorities role assumes significance here. Finally, the state government ought to have information on the gatherings through Intelligence agencies. If all these were aware, how did the lapse occur?
Some reports also stated that the anxious crowd that waited restlessly for over six hours to see the arrival of  Vijay were gasping for breath due to overcrowding and thirsty for water. Vijay himself was seen dropping drinking water bottle from atop the buses while he was addressing the crowd. A mini push-pull had started at that point, probably for water, which was clearly visible in TV grabs. The Karur stampede appears to have happened due to poor preparations and narrow space, including entry and exit points. Well, this is not a learning curve. If we say that this should serve as a big lesson to our politicians, cine actors, who become ‘celebrities” overnight and other “crowd pullers”, what about the public? Are they equally not responsible, especially when children accompany them?
Why do the authorities throw the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines to wind when it matters the most? Why is there slackness in taking up effective crowd management measures including emergency preparedness to do away with stampede risks and ensuring public safety? Is constant monitoring of the crowd not an important element when there is a surge and relentless crowd build-up by mobilising adequate police force assisted by volunteers? Why are we not learning lessons in spite of such occurrences of stampedes in the recent times?
