TVK cadres struggle to reach out to families after Karur stampede

Karur: A week after the deadly stampede at the TVK rally, party members have only begun reaching out to the families of the victims. On Saturday, a group led by TVK east district general secretary G Balasubramani visited some families.

However, the party continues to struggle to mobilise its ranks. Many cadres fear backlash from families, worry about arrests over social media posts, or have gone incommunicado with their phones switched off since the Sept 27 tragedy.

District functionaries told TOI that members were disappointed with Vijay for not staying back in Karur or visiting the bereaved families. TVK district treasurer G Arumugam said the party was unlikely to open its offices on Sunday, where they normally distribute eggs and milk, further weakening outreach efforts. "There was no clear direction from the leadership to reach out. Even if we tried voluntarily, cadres feared being beaten up. Most functionaries' phones were switched off. I am among the few who have kept mine on," he said.

West district joint secretary K R Vignesh Kumar acknowledged similar concerns but said the leadership had instructed them to mobilise as many members as possible. "These are people we may have known at some point, but we don't know how to console them. Vijay could have at least called the families the next day to express condolences and create environment for us to act," said a cadre who spoke anonymously over a WhatsApp call.

Political commentator Tarasu Shyam said the crisis exposed TVK's lack of organisational structure. "Unlike MGR Mandram, S S Rajendran Mandram or even Sivaji Mandram, which gradually trained fan clubs into political outfits, TVK lacks disciplined foot soldiers. In Karur, a handful of secretaries, functionaries, and family members of local politicians are left to manage. When a crisis hits, cadres simply switch off their phones and vanish," he said.