Crowd management is not an optional job

Hindustan Times

4 hours ago

The tragic loss of lives in the recent stampede in Bengaluru — coinciding with the IPL cricket tournament — underscores a disturbing and recurring reality: crowd management and police bandobast (security deployment) are still too often treated as routine, symbolic, and reactive. At times, they are reduced to photo opportunities rather than the collaborative, preventive effort that public safety demands. While each event has unique features, there are certain non-negotiable principles that must govern crowd safety to prevent tragedy.
Organisers must be held to higher standards
As per licensing rules, no event should be conducted without official permission from the local administration. Organisers are expected to submit a realistic estimate of the expected turnout, along with details of promotional strategies used for mobilisation. This estimate forms the foundation of all safety and security planning.
Once submitted, the police department develops its own plan in coordination with other civil agencies, under the leadership of the chief secretary and the director general of police (DGP). Organisers must be fully co-opted into this process and certify the infrastructural readiness of the venue — including holding capacity, structural condition, maintenance, availability of emergency exits, and suitability of location.
Free-entry events or overselling tickets often attract unpredictable crowds, increasing the risk of stampedes. Organisers must also provide details on event timing — especially if held after sunset — and submit plans for safety measures during those hours.
Adequate signage to guide spectators to exits, restrooms, and medical services is essential. Backup power supply, clean drinking water, sanitation, and clear crowd dispersal protocols are basic requirements. Parking for buses, cars, and two-wheelers must be well-organised with signage and token systems to regulate flow and deter theft.
Private security must be hired to supplement police deployment. Surveillance tools such as CCTV systems should be mandatory, and organisers must establish a control room for real-time monitoring with proper logging and preservation of footage.
If the event is profit-oriented, the organisers must bear the cost of policing, as per standard protocol. These funds are rightly routed to police welfare.
Police bandobast
While organisers bear the initial burden of preparation, the ultimate responsibility for law and order lies with the political leadership and civil administration. Planning begins at police headquarters, where senior officers coordinate with sister agencies — municipal bodies, fire departments, medical teams, and disaster response units. This integrated effort must be led by the chief secretary.
Manpower needs are assessed based on the event's nature, location, and expected crowd size. Venues should be mapped and divided into manageable sectors, each under the charge of designated officers as per an official, written deployment plan. Every officer must receive clear verbal and written briefings outlining their duties, assigned positions, and key points of contact.
Importantly, potential 'X-factor' scenarios — such as sudden surges, VIP movements, weather disruptions, or technical failures — must be anticipated and planned for. Contingency planning is not a luxury; it is an operational necessity.
Senior officers must ensure seamless coordination with political leadership, especially for high-profile or sensitive events. However, they must also retain professional autonomy when it comes to enforcing safety norms. Any directive that compromises crowd safety should be firmly resisted.
Breakdowns in communication between top-level commanders and ground-level personnel are among the most dangerous and common causes of failure during large events. This gap must be eliminated through continuous updates, situational awareness, and robust feedback loops during the event.
Who pays the price when systems fail?
These protocols are not theoretical — they are drilled into police officers during training. So why are they often ignored when it matters most? In the case of the IPL tragedy, both political pressure and commercial interest appear to have played a role.
Truth will emerge with time, with the hurried announcement of suspension of the police commissioner.
Whatever the cause, the result is the same: ordinary citizens pay with their lives, while VIPs remain protected in cushioned zones, issuing statements and announcing ex gratia payments — not from their own pockets, but from the public exchequer.
Time for structural accountability
The ongoing inquiry must answer key questions- was the required application for conducting the event submitted?Were red flags raised by the police ignored? Who overruled safety objections — and why?
We must demand accountability. Law and order is not a discretionary favour to the public — it is a core duty of the state. Public safety is what the police and civil administration are trained, recruited, and paid to ensure. Tragedies at public events are not 'accidents' if they were predictable and preventable. They are institutional failures — of planning, of enforcement, and sometimes, of courage. It is time we asked: Who failed? And who paid the price?
And perhaps it is time to name and shame — not out of vindictiveness, but in pursuit of genuine accountability and reform.
(The writer, India's first female IPS officer, is former lieutenant governor of Puducherry)