Vijay to meet families of Karur stampede victims in Mahabalipuram today

Chennai, Oct 27 (IANS) TVK president and actor Vijay will on Monday hold a meeting with families who lost their loved ones in the Karur stampede tragedy.

The meeting, organised at a private resort in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, comes exactly a month after 41 people died during a TVK rally in Karur, marking the first time Vijay will personally interact with the bereaved families.

On Sunday, TVK functionaries arranged for the families to be brought from Karur and the surrounding districts to Mahabalipuram. Around 38 families arrived in eight private buses arranged by the party, while two families are scheduled to reach by air on Monday morning. A family from Tiruppur, however, has chosen to stay back.

About 50 rooms have been booked at the seaside resort along East Coast Road for their accommodation.

According to TVK sources, the families were first picked up from their homes and transported to a common assembly point in Karur before being taken to Mahabalipuram by road. The arrangements were coordinated by three district secretaries representing Karur, Coimbatore, and Erode.

Initially, Vijay had planned to visit Karur to meet the families at their residences. However, the plan was dropped due to security and logistical constraints. The party then decided to bring the families to a common venue to facilitate a quiet and private meeting.

The meeting will begin with a candlelight tribute for the 41 victims at the resort’s convention hall. Vijay will then meet each family individually to offer his condolences and extend assistance. The event is expected to conclude by 3 p.m., followed by lunch, after which the families will begin their return journey.

Party functionaries described the event as “a solemn, humane occasion” meant to express solidarity rather than seek publicity.

“Vijay wanted to stand by the families in their moment of grief and assure them that their pain has not been forgotten,” a senior TVK leader said, adding that the meeting is intended to bring comfort and closure to the affected families.

--IANS

aal/dpb