Karur Stampede: A week of grief, compensation delays and unanswered questions

Nearly a week has passed since the tragedy, and families are still figuring out a way to cope with the grief they are stricken with.

“My children wished to see the actor we had only seen on television and in movies. And we went there. I don’t belong to any political party, but before they could even see the actor, my children were gone,” said Anand Jyothi, who lost his wife Hemalatha and two children, Sai Lakshana and Sai Jeeva, in the tragic stampede at actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally in Karur on 27 September.

Speaking to South First through unbearable grief, Anand Jyothi said, “I’m not part of any political party. I usually don’t attend rallies or meetings. But I went because my children wanted to see the actor. Now, those children are no longer with me. These roadshows should never happen again. Let political parties hold meetings if they want — but please don’t hold such roadshows.”

On Sunday, 5 October, the funeral rites of his wife and children were held. The same grief looms over the homes of 37 other families who lost loved ones that day.

What transpired after the tragedy

Following the stampede in the Karur district of Tamil Nadu on 27 September, 41 people were killed and hundreds were injured. The incident shocked not only Tamil Nadu but the entire nation.

Nearly a week has passed since then, and families are still figuring out a way to cope with the grief they are stricken with.

That very night, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced ₹10 lakh compensation for each of the deceased and ₹1 lakh for those injured. He also ordered the formation of a one-member inquiry commission headed by retired judge Aruna Jegadeesan to investigate the incident.

He also travelled to Karur the same night, met the injured and bereaved families in person, and offered condolences before returning to Chennai the next morning.

On 28 September, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin visited Karur, met with victims, and held discussions with district officials regarding the ongoing rescue and relief operations before leaving.

Later that day, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi personally handed over the ₹10 lakh compensation cheques from the state government to the affected families.

Meanwhile, on the same day, Vijay, president of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, announced on his official X (Twitter) page that he is willing to provide ₹20 lakh to the families of the deceased and ₹2 lakh to those injured.

Announcements by Congress and the Centre

On 28 September itself, Tamil Nadu Congress president Selvaperunthagai, who had visited the victims, announced that the party’s state unit would contribute ₹1 crore in total, to be distributed among the affected families.

On the same day, the Union Government declared that ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund would be given to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured.

Additionally, the BJP formed an eight-member fact-finding team comprising its MPs, who visited Karur last week and later urged Chief Minister Stalin to take immediate action.