The heart-rending stories from Karur in Tamil Nadu, where a rally by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president and actor Vijay turned into a horrific stampede snuffing out at least 39 lives on Saturday, speak of lapses that have become all too familiar in recent times — poor planning, faulty communication, insufficient understanding of the crowd’s behaviour and failure to take damage-control measures. In most parts of the country, political rallies tend to be overcrowded. This is especially so in South India, where lines between movie fandom and political support often get blurred. TVK is still in its infancy. Its rallies are, however, chaotic like blockbuster releases. That’s why the probe, announced by the Tamil Nadu government after Saturday’s tragedy, should take a hard, unsparing look

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