Karur Tragedy: CPI M Leaders Console the Bereaved

Karur: A week has passed since the stampede at actor Vijay’s Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) rally in Karur that claimed 41 lives. The evening of September 27 is etched in the nation’s memory, families torn apart, wailing survivors, lives extinguished in the press of a crowd that had gathered only to glimpse a beloved star.

On Friday, a CPI M delegation led by General Secretary M A Baby visited Velluchamipuram, the site of the tragedy. Polit Bureau member U Vasuki, MPs K Radhakrishnan, V Sivadasan and R Sachithanandam, MLA V P Nagaimali, State Committee member S Bala, and Karur district secretary M Jyothibasu were part of the group.

The remnants of chaos are still visible on the roadside, scattered piles of footwear in every size, some heartbreakingly small. Broken branches and collapsed tin roofs bear witness to the deadly crush. Police barricades now mark the site where lives were lost.

The delegation began their visit here, speaking with officers and local residents before moving to the homes of the bereaved.

M A Baby and other leaders console the mother and paternal aunt of two-year-old Dhruv Vishnu, who died in the Karur tragedy, at their home

At the modest house of two-year-old Dhruv Vishnu, his photograph was placed prominently at the front. His aunt Lalli broke down: “I took him there… never thought it would end this way.” Dhruv’s mother sat mute, paralysed by grief. His father, a daily wage worker, had taken him because the boy adored Vijay’s songs. In the surge of the crowd, he was lost forever.

At Karur Government Medical College, the leaders met 14-year-old Mathish, the only injured survivor still under treatment. His arm had been operated on after it broke in the stampede. A keen cricketer, the Class 9 student worried aloud whether he could ever play again. M A Baby promised to gift him a bat and ball, easing his fears for a moment.

In Emur Puthur village, the group met the family of Arkkani (65). Her daughter-in-law recalled how they had left at 11 in the morning to see Vijay, only to hear by nightfall that she was gone.

Nearby, in another grief-stricken home, 15-year-old Shaktivel spoke quietly of how his mother Chandra (39) was lost in the chaos. “There were no announcements, no volunteers to manage the crowd. She left me by the temple and went forward. By evening she was gone.” The boy, who had dropped out of school two years earlier, was told by M A Baby that the party would take responsibility for his education. “Shaktivel is the party’s son now,” he declared, embracing him. For the first time since his loss, the boy’s face lit up with a faint smile.

CPI M General Secretary M A Baby consoles Shaktivel, who lost his mother in the Karur tragedy. MP K Radhakrishnan, Polit Bureau member U Vasuki, and MP V Sivadasan are seen nearby

The leaders also visited the home of Sharmila, who lost her nine-year-old son Prithvik. Injured herself, she recalled how the child’s dream had been to see Vijay in person. Having raised him alone through years of hardship, she now sat shattered. M A Baby assured her that CPI M would support her in resuming higher studies and rebuilding her life.

At yet another house, grief overwhelmed Shaktivel, a TASMAC employee who had lost his wife Priyadarshini (37) and daughter Dharanik (14). Showing the bag his wife had carried to the rally, he left the visitors in silence.

In Karur’s Shivasakthi Nagar, the party leaders consoled Anand Jyothi, who had lost his wife and two young sons. A family photo adorned with garlands stood beside the last selfie taken at the rally, moments before the fatal crush.

The day ended with a condolence meeting at the CPI M district office. Candles were lit for those who perished. The leaders pledged that the party would remain a constant source of support for the shattered families, a promise, they said, to stand beside them in grief and in rebuilding their lives.