L alli, a 32-year-old homemaker, is consumed by guilt. She is unable to shake off the feeling that she failed to save her nephew, Thuruvishnu, from being crushed to death at a political rally last week.

On the evening of September 27, 2025, a Saturday, Lalli carried the infant in her arms and walked to the venue of the rally in Karur, a textile hub in Tamil Nadu. Her husband and their two children went as well. They were excited to hear the popular actor, Vijay, address the crowd as president of his fledgling political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The rally was part of the actor-turned-politician’s State-wide tour. Tamil Nadu is scheduled to have Assembly elections in 2026.

At the venue, the crowd kept swelling despite the heat. Vijay arrived several hours late, and there wa

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