Karur: A wave of grief and shock has swept across the nation following a devastating stampede at a political gathering in Karur, leaving 39 innocent people dead and more than 50 injured. The tragedy, which occurred during an event for Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay’s political rally, has cut a swathe of sorrow through families from all walks of life, claiming the lives of children, youth, and women.
Amidst the overwhelming toll of loss, one story has emerged that poignantly encapsulates the shattered dreams and unfulfilled futures left in the wake of the disaster—the story of a young couple, Gokulasree and Akash, who were planning to marry next month.
A Mother’s Agonising Recall: “I Begged Her Not To Go”
In a heart-wrenching account that lays bare the human cost of the tragedy, the mother of 24-year-old Gokulasree shared her unbearable pain with reporters. She revealed that her daughter and her fiancé, Akash, also 24, were among the victims, their lives tragically cut short just weeks before their wedding.
“I raised my daughter in a big way. She was a professor in the college and died like this. My daughter is like a lion,” the grieving mother said, her voice trembling with anguish. She recounted the final hours, detailing how the couple left home at 2 PM after assuring her of their safety. “I left because it was Karur. Otherwise, I would not have left. They said they were standing on the roof of someone they know.”
Her account was filled with haunting ‘what-ifs’ and the cruel irony of final conversations. “I begged her not to go even when she was getting into the car,” she recalled. “I was deceived by her saying that we would only stand on the floor and not on the road and sent her away.” Her last communication with them was at 6:30 PM, a call where they assured her they were safe in the crowd and would return home soon. They had even taken selfies, including one with a party symbol, which they sent to the family, capturing a moment of normalcy that would soon turn tragic.
“They Went Like a Bride and Groom”: Dreams Trampled in the Chaos
The mother described the horrific moment the safe outing turned into a nightmare. “It happened when they were coming down. They trampled them to death.” In a twist of fate that compounds the family’s misery, her son, who had accompanied the couple, managed to escape the deadly crush.
The devastating outcome has left the family’s world in ruins. “They have been raised like this. They have been killed,” she lamented, her grief turning to despair. “They both went like a daughter and a groom and became like this. I have not slept for the last 3 days… She said she would go and left like this.”
As her family stands shattered, her questions echoed the sentiments of a nation searching for answers. “Our family is standing on the road. Did they go there to die?” she asked, looking skyward. “Doesn’t even God see eye to eye?”
The story of Gokulasree and Akash is now a sombre symbol of the Karur stampede—a preventable tragedy that has not only claimed dozens of lives but has also extinguished the bright futures of those who, full of life and hope, went out for an event and never returned.