Tamil Nadu 2024 - the highs and lows 

Tamil Nadu's 2024 events: Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, Lok Sabha elections, Cyclone Fengal, Vijay's political entry, and more.

As usual, numerous events that occurred over 2024 did make an impact on the fortunes of Tamil Nadu. While it is undeniable that several significant events took place during this year, all chronicled in these columns as and when they happened, N. Sai Charan picks out 12 critical events that made headlines and influenced the course of history in the State. They have left their mark, but are also likely to have a long-standing impact on the near, and distant futures

If there was one incident in Tamil Nadu that shook the entire nation in 2024, it was the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy. Several residents, mostly daily-wage labourers of Karunapuram near Kallakurichi town, who consumed methanol-infused hooch bought from a local bootlegger on the night of June 18, complained of breathlessness, abdominal pain, blurred vision, and repeated bouts of diarrhoea. They were admitted to hospitals in Kallakurichi, Villupuram and Salem, and JIPMER in Puducherry. Within a couple of days, nearly 50 persons died. The State government made arrests and took action against officials. It also transferred the Collector, placed a few police officers under suspension, and transferred the probe to the Crime Branch-CID. By July, the death toll touched 68. Based on a batch of writ petitions filed by the Opposition parties, the Madras High Court on November 20 ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the tragedy.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Tamil Nadu witnessed a four-cornered contest: the INDIA bloc, the AIADMK-led alliance, the NDA, and the Naam Tamilar Katchi were in the game. The INDIA bloc, led by the ruling DMK won all the 39 seats. The lone seat in Puducherry also went to the INDIA bloc. The nominees of the ruling party-led alliance were far ahead of their opponents. By winning in Sriperumbudur, DMK treasurer T.R. Baalu became the second MP to enter the Lower House of Parliament for the seventh time from Tamil Nadu, next to Congress veteran P. Chidambaram. Earlier, the DMK-led alliance, in its previous avatar as the United Progressive Alliance, had swept the Lok Sabha election in 2004. The AIADMK, which hoped to reverse its fortunes after back-to-back setbacks, had lost in Theni too. It had won the seat last time. The BJP drew a blank, but increased its vote share to double-digit without an alliance.

In July 2024, the State government set up a 23-member ‘One Health and Climate Change Strategic Committee’ to enhance the State’s climate resilience through the One Health approach. It aims to tackle public health challenges linked to climate change, land use, and lifestyle changes, which may trigger diseases affecting both humans and animals. The Health Department’s ‘One Health and Climate Hub’ will establish response mechanisms to mitigate risks associated with zoonotic diseases, and heat and air pollution. Tamil Nadu also declared heatwave a State-specific disaster, enabling those affected by extreme temperatures to get compensation.

Tamil cinema’s leading hero Vijay on February 2 took the political plunge and announced the formation of his political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Positioning himself against the politics of “corruption” and “divisiveness”, Mr. Vijay declared that his party would enter the fray in the 2026 Assembly election. At its inaugural political conference held at Vikravandi on October 27, Mr. Vijay declared that his party would fight against “sectarian forces ideologically” and “Dravidian model-invoking corrupt forces politically”. He also declared that the TVK was open to sharing power with parties, hinting at such an arrangement in 2026. He claimed that Dravidam and Tamil Nationalism were two eyes of this land.

The Global Investors Meet (GIM 2024) attracted investment commitments exceeding ₹6.64 lakh crore through 631 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced that these investments were expected to generate 26,90,657 jobs. A majority of investments were planned in the southern region of the State. VinFast, an electric vehicle manufacturer from Vietnam, announced its plans to establish an electric vehicle plant in Thoothukudi, and within a short span of time, the foundation was laid for this project. Later, during the Chief Minister’s trip to the United States, Ford Motor Company, which had wound up its operations in Chennai a few years ago, expressed interest in restarting manufacturing in Tamil Nadu.

Cyclone Fengal, the complex and slow-moving cyclone, left a trail of destruction in the State. While cyclones causing heavy rainfall were not uncommon during the Northeast monsoon, Cyclone Fengal’s long life-cycle set it apart. The December cyclone that brought 50 cm rainfall on a single day in many districts, including Krishnagiri, Mayiladuthurai, Kallakurichi, and Villupuram, had wreaked havoc in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, claiming 12 lives and affecting 14 districts. When it moved inland, the cyclone pummelled several districts along its path, caused flash floods, submerged acres of crops, and displaced thousands of people. Tragedy struck Tiruvannamalai district when seven persons, including children, were killed in a landslide on December 1 following torrential rainfall. The overflow from the South Pennai river that was in spate, and discharge of nearly 1.68 lakh cusecs of floodwater from the Sathanur dam on December 2 led to widespread devastation.