From religious gatherings to public events, 2025 witnessed a series of stampedes and crowd-related incidents that exposed the fragile line between mass participation and human tragedy, leaving behind loss, questions, and urgent lessons on crowd safety.
As Tamil Nadu gears up for elections, a clash of films with distinct political ideologies is set to unfold at the box office, mirroring the rivalry between political parties.
Real GDP growth surprised on the upside in 2025, but weaker nominal growth, trade uncertainty, and soft demand signal a bumpier road ahead.
'The biggest mistake was that he fled Karur after the stampede.'
'He knows people in a small town like Karur would give anything for a glimpse of the superstar.'
TVK cadres are worried, the leadership looks weak, and the party is not fully prepared for the 2026 elections, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party on Saturday said Rs 20 lakh each has been credited to the families of those who lost their lives in the Karur stampede on September 27.
The Tamil Nadu government released video clippings showing violations of norms at actor-politician Vijay's rally in Karur, claiming the crowd size more than doubled, causing hardships and leading to a stampede.
Vijay, who did not meet the waiting media at Tiruchirappalli and Chennai airports following the stampede, took to 'X' to respond to the fatal incident.
Chennai Police received a phone call claiming that a bomb had been planted at the ECR, Neelankarai residence of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) Chief and actor C Joseph Vijay, officials said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday spoke with Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi and Chief Minister M K Stalin to take stock of the situation following a stampede in Karur and assured them of all possible central assistance to deal with the situation, sources said.
CM Stalin assured that such a tragedy "should never happen" in the future either.
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party chief, who has been facing flak from certain sections for not visiting the affected families in person, had made the video calls on October 6 evening, one of the affected families said.
Referring to the fatal incident that has so far claimed 41 lives, head of the panel and Bharatiya Janata Party MP, Hema Malini said that political rallies should be properly organised and conducted with full security.
'Vijay is badly politically wounded.'
On the admissions, he said 26 people were treated in the OPD and were discharged. And of the 67 admitted as in-patients, 2 were critical. All others were stable. One of the patients was shifted to the Madurai GH for further treatment.
'Vijay should have stayed there for the night and in the morning he should have met the people.'
'Karur could still impact Jana Nayagan's box-office success if Vijay and the TVK do not get their act together,' points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
Thirty-six people, including eight children, 16 women died in a stampede at the actor-politician Vijay's rally in Karur on Saturday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said.
'Vijay is not in the mood to care for the people even now.' 'Everybody is traumatised but Vijay is not consoling them.'
Actor-politician Vijay held his first public meeting in Puducherry, criticising the central government for neglecting the union territory's demand for statehood and praising the local government's impartiality. He also targeted the DMK government in Tamil Nadu, suggesting they could learn from Puducherry.
The Election Commission of India informed the Madras High Court that actor Vijay's TVK is not a recognised political party during a hearing regarding a PIL seeking its derecognition following a stampede at a party rally.
A senior citizen in his 70s said he has never seen so many people getting killed in a stampede at a political party's event and blamed the youths for their anxiety to somehow take a look at the actor.
Expressing his condolences to the bereaved families in a social media post on Sunday, he said a sum of Rs 20 lakh would be given to the families of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh to those who sustained injuries.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) authorizes actor Vijay to decide on alliances for the upcoming Assembly elections and announces him as their Chief Ministerial candidate.
A social media post by a TVK leader has sparked controversy, leading to demands for his expulsion from the party.
'What is worrying other parties is those 10-11 year olds who come for his meetings will cross 18 in the next election. And they will vote for him, and then his vote bank will double.' 'In that case, he will be a very serious player! This is the real scare for other political parties.'
The DMK may consider a two-tier campaign, where they keep the focus on Chief Minister Stalin, as a senior statesman with 50-plus years of political experience, and let EPS and the BJP shout in the wilderness. In such a case, the second-tier may project Udhayanidhi as the contender and chosen obstructionist in Vijay's path. The attempt, if any, would be to reduce Vijay to Udhayanidhi's level when the former is aiming at Stalin and Stalin alone in the state's political horizon, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy.
'When you don't care about the lives of the people who make you, who you are, then you don't deserve their support.'
Actor-politician Vijay, founder of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, is set to resume his political campaign on Sunday in Kanchipuram district. He will address people at an indoor facility, with arrangements made for a smooth event. Approximately 1,500 people with QR-coded passes will be allowed entry, and security measures are in place.
'Stalin's intention is plain and simple.' 'The DMK wants to convert what is an 'incumbency-centred' election for the party-led alliance into one more 'Modi/BJP election' after Stalin's successive success in 2019 and 2021, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Cyclone Ditwah exits Sri Lanka after causing widespread destruction and over 120 deaths, heading towards the Indian coast. Heavy rains and high winds are expected to continue.
'He was able to push the AIADMK to the background.'
After big win in Bihar, the BJP is likely to push harder in Tamil Nadu, where the DMK government and the uneasy BJP-AIADMK alliance are preparing for a tense election filled with seat-sharing fights, changing alliances, and the unpredictable entry of Vijay's TVK party, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy.
The likes of Sengottaiyan can help Vijay navigate it better and faster -- but not necessarily to his goal, which is farther, and can move towards or away from him as well in the weeks and months to come, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
The Congress leadership is reportedly upset with former Home Minister P Chidambaram for his remarks on 'Operation Blue Star'. Party sources indicate that senior leaders should be cautious about making public statements that could embarrass the party.
Yes, the entry of private bankers, particularly with global experience will add value to PSBs, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
The Madras High Court has issued a notice to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay regarding a dispute over the party's flag. A Chennai-based trust, Thondai Mandala Saandror Dharma Paribalana Sabai, filed an appeal challenging a single judge's order that declined to restrain TVK from using the flag, alleging trademark and copyright infringement.
The BJP's MoSha leadership are past masters in encouraging defections from their allies if it helped their party capture the chief minister's chair. In Bihar, they are not sure if JD-U MPs and MLAs would be willing to cross over to the BJP if the Nitish leadership came on top -- and the NDA crossed the halfway mark together, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
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