Effective crowd management at mass gatherings demands the cooperation of organisers and attendees. However, when popular film stars attempt to convert their frenzied fan base into political capital, crowd management and safety are often compromised. This was tragically demonstrated in Tamil Nadu’s worst political rally disaster, that left 40 people, including children, dead, at Velusamypuram in Karur during actor-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s campaign, on Saturday night. Since September 13, when the Kollywood megastar launched his “weekend-only” roadshows, promoting his fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) as an alternative to the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), restrictions have been breached and common sense sidelined. Mr. Vijay has resisted police restrictions, labelling them

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