Social Crises: A Time for the Old Blame-Game or Responsibility & Action?

Crises are the best judgements of character. How each one of us responds during a crisis talks a lot about our own personality. Although, it doesn’t define the entire personality, it does reflect what kind of person you are. And more importantly, no two persons react similarly during a crisis. For some, they thrive during times of hardship, spring into action and even surprise themselves. 

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On the other hand, some of us surprise ourselves too, but by going numb. We might have perceived ourselves as quite vibrant and full of energy, but in the time of need we tend to freeze and lose momentum. Although, we as normal citizens cannot really beat ourselves up for these traits, it's inherent, and might be subject to change with effort.

But can leaders, in any form or shape give us the same excuse? Definitely not. When we elect a leader or someone steps up to lead, there are certain duties and responsibilities expected out of them, since time immemorial. We expect them to be tough, yet gracious and there is little to no tolerance for mistakes. 

That being said, historically, some of the great leaders have publicly acknowledged mistakes and taken responsibility. ‘Committing errors is part of being human, but there is beauty in bearing responsibility and correcting our course forward’ say these leaders’ actions. What is the contemporary relevance to this slightly long thought process? The recent Karur stampede.

Karur Stampede: A Political Rally that Ended in Tragedy 

Over the past year, the Tamilnadu political scene has shifted greatly. With VIP celebrity and movie star Joseph Vijay’s entrance into politics with his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, citizens of the state are quite excited. The big question circling in every Tamilian’s mind - are we about to witness a power change in our time?

However, what began with widespread acceptance and enthusiasm, encountered its first obstacle this past month. In a recent political rally conducted in Karur district of Tamilnadu, overcrowding led to tragedy in terms of a stampede. Several people lost their lives and many more are wounded and kept in the hospital. This incident has sparked quite a controversy in the region. 

TVK supporters have turned to blame ruling party DMK for the stampede. Meanwhile, many theories about the cause of the stampede are rampant in social media. This week, Vijay himself took to Twitter to address the people at large, expressing his heartfelt sentiments for the deceased and wounded. But he did not stop there. 

The political leader went on to discuss the controversies and ‘hidden truths’ behind the incident. While it is necessary to not shy away from stating your truth, at the time of crises, the best course of action for a leader would be to take responsibility. In the sense, not take responsibility for the causes but for the results. 

Whoever was behind the stampede, be it the alleged lack of police cooperation with the TVK or even the claims of the opposition parties’ influence, the responsibility of the citizens’ safety and protection is allocated to those conducting the rally. At this point, it is necessary to stress that mistakes are inevitable, but action and responsibility is a choice. 

Finally, while the political leader’s response has become a subject of huge criticism, from a vantage point, it cannot be treated as defining his leadership. Such experiences influence leaders, just like hardships shape citizens. Thus time alone holds the answer to the nature and administration of Tamilnadu’s newest political party. 

Disclaimer: This is a one person point of view and thought and is entirely subjective. It is also a moral approach to the recent incident, and thus facts are kept to the minimum with the exception of a general overview. For further information do your own research and arrive at your own conclusions.