News Tamil Nadu

Chennai Air Show Fiasco: Dravidian Stock Media & Dravidianist Journos Try To Shift Blame On Indian Air Force For Crowd Management, Trivialize Tragedy

October 7, 2024
The Commune

Dravidianist media swiftly shifted blame to the Indian Air Force following the chaos that erupted at Chennai’s Marina Beach during the much-anticipated air show, which turned tragic due to the Tamil Nadu DMK government’s mismanagement. While the IAF showcased a flawless display, the lack of adequate crowd control and infrastructure by state authorities led to five deaths and over 200 hospitalizations. DMK ministers echoed these sentiments, asserting that the event’s organization was primarily the responsibility of the Air Force.

Critics, however, highlight the state’s failure to ensure proper arrangements for such a massive turnout, raising questions about accountability.

Chennai Air Show Turns Tragic

The much-anticipated Air Show at Chennai’s Marina Beach, intended to be a memorable event for millions, turned into a nightmare due to the negligence of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu. While the Indian Air Force delivered a flawless performance, the mismanagement before and after the show caused widespread disorder. As of 7 October 2024, five lives were lost, and over 200 people were hospitalized.

DMK ministers, party members, supporters and the Dravidianist media blamed the Indian Air Force for organizing the event. Here is a compilation of statements made by Dravidianist journalists, supporters, and DMK members blaming the IAF for the mess.

Dravidianist Media Tows The Party Line

A journalist named Damodharan Prakash from yellow journal Nakheeran tried to justify the absence of patients in nearby hospitals by stating, “No inpatient in Royapettah and Omandurar- all are discharged. Two in-patients in Rajiv Gandhi Hospital admitted due to some health issues, are stable. No one was dead in the crowd. No death is related to crowd or mismanagement. This is medical records; others are politics“

The News Minute journo Shabbir Ahmed claimed all arrangements were made beforehand at the request of the IAF and that the TN government went above and beyond to cater to their requests. He wrote, “TN Health Min says all arrangements were based on the requirement of Air Force for the #AirShow. TN govt provided more than what was required for the event, it seems. So, who is responsible for creating a stampede-like situation? How did 5 people die?”

NDTV journalist Sam Daniel commented that it was not a “good idea” for the IAF to mobilize lakhs of people to set a record. He wrote, “It’s a miracle, no loss of life at the IAF Chennai airshow. IAF mobilising lakhs of people to set a record is not a good idea. Traffic and crowd management are the worst. The state government that opposes even smaller gatherings should have warned people about this uncontrollable situation.”

While the display was fantastic and due credit to the IAF, News Tamil 24×7 went one step ahead to praise the city as the “best capital“. It is noteworthy that Madras Presidency which subsequently became Chennai, after years of Dravidianist rule has become pathetic in infrastructure and mediocre public transport system, to say the least.

Sun News went full throttle to claim all sorts of records and bests. Here are a few examples of how they brought out the beauty of the well-managed show.

They posted that Chennai Metro saw 4 lakh passengers in a single day—that was because there were no buses or MRTS trains to allow people to travel freely, and the roads were chock-a-block with traffic.

They also posted the “record” numbers of passengers who travelled by the MRTS.

They also posted bytes from the public who praised the “arrangements” made.

 

The traffic later reduced with time and Sun News also highlighted that!

 

They also portrayed the crowds gathered in a very neutral fashion as if there was no problem and it was a joyous thing.

 

Subscribe to our Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram channels and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.