After Karur tragedy, TVK launches ‘Thondar Ani’ for crowd management

After the Karur stampede, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam launched ‘Thondar Ani’, a new volunteers’ wing for crowd management and safety. The initiative, backed by retired police trainers, aims to professionalise the party’s organisation ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.

Chennai: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has launched a new volunteers’ wing, ‘Thondar Ani’, to ensure effective crowd management and public safety during its events and campaigns.

The move follows the September 27 stampede at Karur, where 41 people were killed and more than 60 were injured during Vijay’s roadshow — one of the biggest political gatherings the party has witnessed so far.

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According to party sources, the tragedy exposed the absence of a structured volunteer force capable of managing massive crowds, prompting TVK to form Thondar Ani on the lines of the DMK and MDMK, both of which maintain trained internal teams for handling large public meetings.

The new wing will oversee crowd movement, establish safety perimeters, and coordinate with police and medical teams during all major programmes.

Seven retired police officers, including V.A. Ravikumar, IPS (ADGP, Retd.), P. Ashokan (ASP, Retd.), Sabibulla (Ex-DSP), Thillainayagam (DSP, Retd.), R. Sivalingam (DSP, Retd.), R. Lakshminarayanan (DSP, Retd.), and R. Mathiarasu (DSP, Retd.), have conducted training sessions for selected TVK functionaries.

The training covered crowd psychology, public safety protocols, coordination with law enforcement, and emergency-response measures. Party insiders said the initiative is part of Vijay’s broader effort to professionalise the TVK’s organisational structure ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

“Vijay wants the party to be known for its discipline, organisation, and preparedness. Thondar Ani will ensure that our events remain safe for the public while maintaining order and efficiency,” a senior leader said.

In addition to forming Thondar Ani, TVK has also appointed office-bearers for its students’, women’s, and volunteers’ wings across 65 district units, signalling an extensive grassroots expansion.

The party’s recent events across Tamil Nadu have drawn record-breaking crowds, underscoring the growing mass appeal of Vijay’s political movement — and the urgent need for a robust internal mechanism to ensure such gatherings are managed safely and responsibly.