Dr.Thomas (Special Correspondent)
The horrifying stampede at Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam’s (TVK) public meeting in Karur is more than a tragic mishap.
It is a textbook example of what happens when celebrity politics is substituted for responsible leadership.
Thirty-nine people,including women and children,lost their lives.This is not merely an accident; it is a failure of planning,accountability and empathy at the highest level of TVK’s leadership.
Actor-turned-politician Vijay, who heads TVK,was scheduled to meet his supporters much earlier in the day.
People arrived from morning, waiting for hours under the sun without basic amenities—no water,no food,no toilets and, crucially,no crowd-management plan.By the time Vijay arrived in the evening, disorder had already begun.
Instead of taking charge on the spot,he left the venue and responded only hours later through social media posts.This is not leadership;this is escapism.
This is not an isolated episode.Earlier, another TVK event saw deaths due to crowding,prompting even the Madras High Court to remark that organisers and leaders are ultimately responsible for the safety of the people they invite. That warning was clearly ignored.
The Karur incident exposes a larger problem:Tamil Nadu’s recurring fascination with movie stars as political saviours.
Vijay’s supporters,like those of his predecessors, did not come because of TVK’s policies or ideology.They came to see their “reel” hero. In cinemas,Vijay rescues families from villains; in real life he could not even ensure drinking water for his own supporters.
History offers a sobering lesson.Actor Vijayakanth rode to power on star appeal but quickly lost ground because his party lacked grassroots strength.
Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam, despite much hype, failed to make a mark electorally; now he sits in the Rajya Sabha, with citizens legitimately questioning his attendance and impact. Crowd size at rallies is not the same as votes, and charisma is not competence.
If Vijay and other film stars are serious about public service, they must begin where real leaders are forged — in panchayats, municipal bodies, and local organisations.
That is where one learns to plan a meeting, provide basic facilities, and shoulder responsibility when things go wrong. Until then, “caravan politics” — turning up briefly to address adoring fans before retreating to air-conditioned buses — is not leadership; it is theatre, and deadly theatre at that.
The people of Tamil Nadu deserve leaders who understand governance, not just performance. The Karur stampede, which killed 39 innocent people, should be the moment when voters stop mistaking stardom for statesmanship.
