Karur and the Collapse of Political Sense

The Karur tragedy is the deadliest political rally stampede in Indian history, claiming 41 lives, including 9 children. What’s most shameful is that it happened in a state known for its progressive politics.

This incident has been widely covered in the media and discussed in detail by everyone. More than the blame game, what’s astonishing is that even after almost a week, neither the leader nor the second-rung or local functionaries have taken any kind of moral responsibility. It was their rally; they have to take responsibility.

But what else can you expect from a party that relies solely on its leader’s face value and nothing else? They are absolutely clueless. The cadres, the local leaders, the second-rung functionaries, and Vijay himself. They were never prepared for this.These Saturday meetings are not organised rallies; they are uncontrolled mobs trying to catch a glimpse of their star, reckless, apolitical, and with no civic sense. Unlike other parties that have the experience and systems to handle such situations, they are completely unequipped. TVK tried to exploit the frenzy, but when faced with an incident of this magnitude, they were utterly incapable of handling the aftermath. That’s the fact.

In a recent news-hour discussion, Rationalist, Adv Mathivathini spoke about how rallies were once used to enlighten people. When Periyar and Anna addressed gatherings, people would turn up with their children, even putting them to sleep in makeshift cradles as they waited for hours to hear them speak. Those were times when even the uneducated attended rallies to gain awareness and learn something new. Rallies had a purpose; Leaders didn’t exploit their cadres; they educated them.

Kalaignar was a pioneer of issue-based rallies and protests. His 1982, 200-km “March for Justice” against the then MGR government was a testament to that spirit, setting an example later followed by many on how to conduct a yatra with purpose. Mass leaders like MGR and Jayalalithaa, despite their immense star power, conducted rallies with grace and order. MGR’s founding rally drew thousands, while Jayalalithaa’s 2016 comeback tour, after her infamous jail term, saw her addressing huge crowds across multiple stops. Recently, Thol. Thirumavalavan’s rally too drew thousands of supporters. Often stereotyped as “unruly” by so-called elites, it was, in fact, one of the most well-organised and disciplined rallies in recent times, without a single untoward incident.

There was purpose in these rallies. Cadres came for enlightenment, empowerment, and solidarity. Grounded in political understanding and a collective cause. These three pillars defined a meaningful rally.

Vijay’s rally, however, lacked all three. There was no purpose, no enlightenment, and no political sense,  just a frenzied crowd scene, resembling an FDFS (First Day, First Show) in an open ground without the safety of a theatre.

Rallies once enlightened the masses. Today, Karur incident reveals how far we’ve fallen from that . A rally without purpose is just a crowd, and a crowd without direction is a tragedy waiting to happen.