Tamaga vettri kazhagam President and actor Vijay during the rally in Karur on Saturday. | Photo Credit: M. Moorthy
When we first arrived at Velusamypuram, on the outskirts of Karura, at 10:45, to cover the meeting of Tamizhaga vettri kazhagam (TVK), there were no signs of chaos that would take several lives that night.
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A crowd of about 1,000 people looked modest. After finding a good advantageous point, my colleague, photographer M. Moorthy, we found a suitable place on the terrace of a nearby three -storey building. We asked for the owner of the property owner and occupied the place at 11 am, preventing the sunburn from the sun.
As the day proceeded, more journalists and media workers joined us, followed by several women, including newlywed and mothers with children, all eagerly captured the view of the actor-time-politician Vijay. After their honeymoon to Munnar, the couple also returned to Tiruvarur. With their children there were at least 12 women who climbed to the terrace we were waiting for.
Initially, the crowd was thin, which led me to believe that participation would be low. However, the numbers after Vijay’s assembly in Namakkal grew significantly around 16:00. The crowd waited patiently because highly energy songs were played.
When Vijay arrived, the crowd seemed almost doubled and the excitement turned into chaos. The noise reached the deafening level, which made it impossible to hear his speech from what was until then, a bargain point. I rushed down to approach, but I found the door of the building was locked. I desperately tried to get a better view and tried to climb over an eight -meter steel door, but he was pushed down by young people who fled from the crowd an increase near Vijay’s vehicle. When the vehicle entered the arena, the crowd had to say goodbye to make the way for him. But there was not much room. When the crowd tried to move, people on the edges were pushed back and trampled. Because I was also in the back, I was pushing down. I managed to stick to the door and finally returned to the terrace.
The scenes I saw from the terrace afterwards were terrible and remain in my memory etched. It was a complete chaos. People fell; Others stepped over them as they tried to get to safety. After fainting I witnessed eight to ten people. At that moment I turned to see what Vijay was doing, and seemed to be wondering whether he would continue his speech or stop.
In my career, a journalist lasting 31 years was undoubtedly a daunting experience. It was a pity that, with the exception of several, many could not even see the person they came to see – Vijay. For those who managed to return home happily with a heavy heart and scary memories. There were many who couldn’t return home that night.
Published – 29 September 2025 12:54
