News Tamil Nadu

DMK Minister & Members Try To Pin Blame On Indian Air Force For Marina Air Show Fiasco By State Govt

October 7, 2024
The Commune

The much-anticipated Chennai Air Show at Marina Beach, which was a spectacular event because of the Indian Air Force, turned tragic due to severe mismanagement by the DMK government. Despite knowing over 1.5 million people would attend, crowd control and transport arrangements were grossly inadequate, leading to widespread chaos, heat exhaustion, and dehydration. Five lives were lost, and over 90 people were hospitalized.

As public criticism mounted, DMK leaders, including Health Minister Ma Subramaniam and spokesperson Syed Hafeez, shifted blame to the Indian Air Force, downplaying the government’s responsibility.

Chennai Air Show Crashes & Burns

What could have been a fantastic experience for Chennai residents became a nightmare due to the DMK government’s failure to make basic arrangements. This poor planning tarnished the event and left the city’s citizens frustrated.

As the people who were in the melee started complaining about the poor arrangements, the DMK and its supporters began playing a blame-shift game.

Ma Subramaniam

Health Minister Ma Subramaniam released a press note stating, “Full administrative cooperation of the Government of Tamil Nadu was extended to successfully conduct the Indian Air Force Air Adventure Program at Chennai. In order to properly plan and conduct the event, a coordination meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary with Indian Air Force officers and Tamil Nadu government department officials once and then several times at the departmental level. In these consultative meetings, arrangements were made with all the demands of the Air Force officers kept in mind. Two health teams, with an adequate number of doctors and nurses, have been deployed on behalf of the state government at the venue. Apart from this, medical teams were formed on behalf of the Indian Army. Also, 40 ambulances were also stationed there for emergency medical assistance. Adequate paramedical teams were also constituted. 100 beds and 65 doctors were kept ready in Government Medical College Hospitals including Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. Necessary arrangements have been made for an adequate number of temporary latrines and drinking water supply at Marina Beach by the Chennai Metropolitan Corporation and the Chennai Water and Sewerage Board. 7500 security guards have been deployed for security given the possibility of a large number of people coming. For the Indian Air Force program held today in Chennai,

Tamil Nadu provided all the facilities and arrangements beyond what they requested. I would like to inform you that the government has done this.”

He also blamed the IAF for the reason why the event was conducted during the peak afternoon.

Syed Hafeez

Another DMK spokesperson Syed Hafeez kept justifying the deaths were not due to a stampede. Speaking to Times Now, he said, “The event was well organized. The government and the Corporation of Chennai with coordination from 4 other departments had done their best to avoid such a situation. See you have to understand, tehre was no stampede. If the state government had not organised this well, in such a manner. To completely blame the state government of mismanagement is not acceptable. See other news channels, people are praising the state government.”

Saravanan Annadurai

DMK member and advocate Saravanan Annadurai blamed the public for not taking adequate water bottles, caps, etc. He even questioned the health issues those who died may have had. It seemed to indicate that he was saying that blaming the state government for poor arrangements is being done for political reasons. 

He wrote, “Aviation adventure and politics of jealousy! Yesterday, the Indian Air Force and the adventure shows at the Marina were not properly coordinated, the trains were not running, five people died, and the state government is held responsible. I also went to see the adventure. We walked 3 km, saw, walked again, and reached home.

Important questions.

1. When 10 lakh people will gather, can all the vehicles be allowed to the place of adventure?

2. Can get down early and walk the last 2 or 3 km on your own.

3. Yesterday, the sun was 36 degrees. Walking in that sun and standing in the top sun can see this adventure. It has to go by itself with minimum progress. Hat, water, umbrella.

4. An adequate number of ambulances were available, and first aid treatments were available for those who fainted in the sun.

5. Everyone wants to see it in person. They must have come to the event feeling that this hot environment would allow their bodies to cooperate. At least for about three hours, you have to walk to stand in the sun.

6. The death of 5 people is very regrettable, taking into consideration their health condition.

7. Southern Railway should explain why they are not running enough trains.

8. Can a structure accommodate more than 10 lakh people in a short period?

9. Our guards did an excellent job, from first aid treatment to traffic regulation.

10. Most of the people of Chennai who came to the program enjoyed it and left satisfied. They had come to the program knowing what kind of facilities would be available in such programs and how much the facility would be. The Union Government itself conducted it, what is their role? Those who try to portray this as an administrative failure have no intention other than political jealousy.”

He stated that there was no stampede, so everything was fine. He wrote, “Only an autopsy will tell us how five people were dead? Did they have any pre-existing illness, which got exacerbated while standing in the hot sun for 3 to 4 hrs. There was no stampede.”

Saravanan next went on to blame the Defence ministry because it was them who organised it in the first place! He wrote, “Show organised by Defence Ministry”

As if paying lip service, DMK MP Kanimozhi indirectly blamed the IAF for wanting to gather a large number of people. She wrote, “The news of the death of 5 people is very sad and painful when the public who witnessed the military flight adventure program held at the Marina beach in Chennai suffered from the crowd and the temperature was high. Unmanageable gatherings should also be avoided.”

Salem Dharanidharan

DMK spokie Salem Dharanidharan also blamed the IAF, stating they wanted to create a record and that the TN government did not organise the event. He said, “It is unfortunate that lives were lost and it should not happen. There have been many events, full-fledged events conducted in the state where more number of people have participated. There have been fantastic arrangements. Even our party conducted the Youth Wing conference which broke the record was fantastically arranged. The Air Force organizes this and it is not the Tamil Nadu government that wanted to create a record. People, out of their own willingness wanted to come and we made proper arrangements but I am not certain how these mishaps happened.”

It is noteworthy that the IAF had intimated to the public a week ago as well that they were planning to create a world record and were expecting atleast 15 lakh people. It is estimated that about 11 lakh people attended the event.

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