New Delhi: The chairpersons of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), Kishor Makwana, on Friday visited Karur in Tamil Nadu along with senior officials and met the families of 12 SC victims who died in a recent stampede during a rally of actor-politician Vijay’s party.
The Commission recommended that one eligible member from each bereaved SC family be provided with a government job, considering their poor socio-economic condition.
The stampede on September 27, which took place during a rally convened by Vijay’s party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), claimed 41 lives and left over 100 injured after the crowd swelled beyond expectation and surged uncontrollably on the actor’s arrival.
Several men, women and children were caught in the crush, with many getting trampled.
In a statement, the NCSC said Makwana, accompanied by senior officials from its headquarters and the state office, first inspected the site of the stampede and then visited the homes of the SC victims to offer condolences.
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He was joined by the Karur district collector and superintendent of police.
“The Commission firmly stands with the Scheduled Caste community in this hour of pain and tragedy,” the statement said, adding that the families were reassured of full support from the Centre.
Makwana also held a detailed review meeting with the district officials and directed them to submit a comprehensive report on crowd management and safety arrangements, adequacy of police deployment, the venue approval process, and the relief measures taken so far.
The NCSC said accountability and transparency were essential in the handling of such tragedies, and emphasised that beyond immediate relief, long-term support, such as employment for the kin of the victims, was crucial to address the economic vulnerability of the affected families.
According to the Commission, of the 41 deceased, 15 were from Scheduled Caste communities. The victims included men, women and children from poor households.
The Karur tragedy, the NCSC said, was a “painful reminder of the human cost of such unfortunate events”, which caused “irreparable loss to families and shocked the conscience of the nation”.
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