The gang at Vijay’s occasion in Karuru on Saturday evening shouldn’t be a political gathering, however a sea of followers determined to see the superstars from a close-by quarter, with glimpses, selfies and tales to inform. Within the midst of that frenzy, when some supporters climbed up a tree department fell on these behind Vijay’s marketing campaign van, the panic undulating outdoors, turning the rally right into a disaster.
Of the 16 girls and 6 youngsters, 38 have died and over 100 have been admitted to Karur and Trichy hospitals. Many individuals struggle for his or her lives. Dr. D Sundaresan, a professor at Karur Medical School, mentioned 48 folks (23 males and 25 girls) have been receiving remedy there.
The catastrophe highlighted the flammable mixture of Tamil Nadu’s enduring movie fandom and its politics. Actor Vijay’s new political instrument, Tamiraga Vetri Kazagam (TVK), remains to be in its early levels. However the rally has already acquired the aura of a blockbuster launch, already unpredictable, emotional, and sometimes uncontrollable.
“This isn’t a political crowd to start with,” mentioned Gopalan Rabindran, a retired communications professor at Tamil Nadu Central College, who studied the tradition of mass gatherings. “It is a non permanent crowd. They’re followers of Vijay, however they don’t seem to be occasion staff but. They’re bizarre, lovely, and monster-like. You’ll be able to’t characterize it. You’ll be able to’t management it.
His rationale emphasizes the reality. They put on occasion scarves and lift flags, however Vijay’s faces on the rally have fewer occasion executives than film followers. 5 folks collapsed in Namaccal early on Saturday within the solar earlier than Vijay arrived. The assembly ended at 4pm. By the point Vijay arrived at Karur at 7pm, a distance of 50km after a visit, the group had swelled past the variety of guarantees.
10,000 folks got permission and 500 police deployed. Organizers advised police they weren’t anticipating it anymore. Nonetheless, the nightfall stuffed tens of 1000’s of individuals. In response to sources who have been current as witnesses, it was about 30,000 when Stampede occurred.
Per week in the past, AIADMK chief Edappadi Ok Palaniswami attracted 25,000 folks to the identical location with none points.
Limitations and Riot
For weeks, Vijay created political capital from his struggle with the police over restrictions at his rally. A number of days in the past at Trichy, he chuckled on the officers, telling them to not wave an excessive amount of or smile on the crowd. “Oh, what a god, this can be a sema comedy,” he mentioned. “CM Sir, are you threatening me? You made that fallacious.”
TVK additionally went to court docket, claiming that the DMK authorities would impose “troubled and discriminatory” circumstances on the occasion. On the Sept. 18 listening to, the Madras Excessive Courtroom requested the state to think about gathering safety deposits from all political events in order that damages to public or personal property may be compensated. The lawsuit was sparked by a petition from TVK itself and accused police of imposing 23 separate circumstances on Trichie rallies, together with one pregnant rallies, aside from pregnant girls and aged folks.
The court docket famous that current legal guidelines would permit political events to be chargeable for damages attributable to executives, however enforcement was weak. “Strict circumstances have to be imposed,” Choose n Sathish Kumar mentioned he urged a deposit and accountability framework.
The problem of accountability is now rising. Critics argue that TVK can not deny the character of the rally. “It is not a crowd of followers,” mentioned a senior IPS officer who’s properly versed within the occasions and preparations. “If we want the facility of a giant gathering, we should additionally settle for accountability.”
In the meantime, the state authorities has been detained. The general public outrage attributable to the inconvenience attributable to the Vijay rally was sharp, however there was additionally the sensitivity to crack down on the icons of movies which might be extraordinarily well-liked throughout election season. Actions that seem to discriminate towards TVK can deepen exterior enchantment.
Crowd tradition
Tamil Nadu has lived with the tradition of enormous political gatherings for many years nurtured by the Nexus of cinema politics. CN Annadurai, MG Ramachandran, and J Jayalalithaa have been all movie stars earlier than turning into main ministers. Their conferences routinely portrayed lakhs.
What’s new is the energy of Vijay’s fandom within the digital age. His supporters flood social media, mobilize WhatsApp teams and converge on a fleet that overwhelms small cities. Saturday’s rally was allowed as a hard and fast level assembly, with a strict ban on roadshows. Nonetheless, followers continued their automobiles from Namaccal to Karuru and inflated the property earlier than they arrived.
Rabindran in contrast the phenomenon to Lacania’s psychology. “There are imaginary levels, symbolic levels, and actuality in human growth,” he mentioned. “What we’re right here is true: a monster, a monster that goes towards the reason of the language.”
On a Saturday, round 10pm, the household was outdoors the hospital ready for the information. The federal government has introduced 10 Rs of compensation for every sufferer and accepted emergency switch to personal hospitals to avoid wasting lives. Prime Minister MK Stalin flew from Chennai to Trichi at 1am to supervise the reduction. Vijay returned to Chennai and prevented the media, however met with police and occasion members alongside the best way.
