Karur stampede exposes failure to learn lessons
The Tribune Editorial: The overcrowding was being witnessed in rallies since September 13, when actor-politician Vijay launched his state-wide tour.
IT’s disturbing that stampedes are acquiring an air of inevitability in India. The script largely remains the same — only the scene of the tragedy and the crowd-pullers change. The latest incident happened in Tamil Nadu’s Karur on Saturday; 40 people died in a stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s rally, where his delayed arrival led to chaos as the crowd kept swelling. According to DGP G Venkataraman, the organisers had estimated that about 10,000 people were expected; however, around 27,000 turned up to have a glimpse of the fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s founder-president. They waited for hours in the sun, apparently without adequate arrangement for food and water. The organisers and the police should have been better prepared, considering that overcrowding was being witnessed since September 13, when Vijay launched his state-wide tour. Moreover, no lessons were learnt from similar incidents in other states this year, such as the stampede outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives in June.
