In the wake of a heartbreaking accident near Cuddalore where two schoolchildren lost their lives after a train collided with a van at a manned level crossing, the Dravidianist ecosystem has already begun spinning the narrative with sections of the media firmly backing the DMK’s line.
Shockingly, the focus has shifted from the tragic loss of life to linguistic blame. The gatekeeper, a Hindi-speaking worker, is now being painted as the root cause not based on facts, but seemingly for not speaking Tamil.
Dravidianist media, the Puthiya Thalaimurai, a news channel often seen echoing the ruling party’s stance, ran a news card with the headline, “Gatekeeper who doesn’t know Tamil.”
“தமிழ் தெரியாத கேட் கீப்பர்…”#Cuddalore | #Accident | #Students | #TrainAccident pic.twitter.com/IsW7l4VoRn
— PttvOnlinenews (@PttvNewsX) July 8, 2025
Not far behind, Sun News widely regarded as the DMK’s unofficial propaganda arm also framed the story around language, running the caption: “Accidents happen because those who don’t speak the language are appointed as gatekeepers…”
#Watch | "மொழி தெரியாதவர்களை கேட் கீப்பராக நியமிப்பதால் விபத்து…"
கடலூர் ரயில் – பள்ளி வேன் விபத்து குறித்து அப்பகுதி மக்கள் ஆவேசம்.#SunNews | #CuddaloreAccident pic.twitter.com/HbQEYyrlyg
— Sun News (@sunnewstamil) July 8, 2025
These attempts to communalize and linguistically polarize a tragedy have been met with disbelief and criticism. For many, it’s yet another example of how journalism in Tamil Nadu is increasingly becoming a political tool where even moments of mourning are hijacked to reinforce ideological talking points and distract from governance failures.
What Actually Happened?
On the morning of 9 July 2025, a private school van carrying four students attempted to cross a railway level crossing at Semmankuppam in Cuddalore district when it was hit by a fast-moving train traveling from Villupuram to Mayiladuthurai. The impact was devastating the van was dragged for over 50 metres.
Two students, Charumathi (15) and Venkatesh (10), were killed. The van driver, Sankar (45), and two other students were seriously injured and taken to the Cuddalore Government General Hospital.
Local villagers, who reached the scene before emergency services, rescued the injured and helped transport them to the hospital. Eyewitnesses blamed the gatekeeper, alleging that he had failed to close the crossing gate and was asleep at the time of the incident. Some villagers reportedly assaulted the gatekeeper, later identified as Pankaj Sharma. Sharma, in his defense, claimed that the van driver had pressured him to keep the gate open, a claim that has yet to be verified.
In response to the incident, Southern Railway has suspended Sharma pending a full inquiry. Cuddalore Superintendent of Police S. Jeyakumar stated that the cause of the tragedy will only be confirmed after a thorough investigation.
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