Fresh wake-up call to boost security at congregations

Hans India

a day ago

It was a tragic Sunday for three pilgrims, including two women, who lost their lives in a stampede near Shree Gundicha temple during a ceremony pertaining to the Rath Yatra festivities. It is rather unfortunate that lessons have not been learnt from past experiences. The Puri episode is not an isolated case. Alas, the authorities, especially those organising festivities of a high magnitude, apparently do not understand the relevance of the 'once bitten twice shy' sermons. India is a country where millions flock to venues where massive rituals are organised, perhaps in the fond hope of getting spiritual bliss and moments of peace away from the rough and tumble of everyday problems and stress-causing happenings. It is this divine rejuvenation that draws them, especially the disturbed minds, to religious events.
What is baffling is that despite many fatal incidents being reported from time to time, the authorities keep their eyes, and ears, closed as if it was business as usual. To put it more bluntly, they lack a humane mindset as they seem unmoved by fatalities in major public events, although most of the horrific incidents were largely because of their own incompetence. If human lives were so dear to them, nay the government of the day, they could come up with measures that help avoid these tragedies. Instead of mending their approaches, the authorities just indulge in the dubious blame-game and do precious little thereafter. This is even though fatal stampedes have become commonplace. It is quite possible that the governments do not bother about chalking out effective alternative fool-proof solutions because it is the faces in the crowd, the man in the street, who get killed but not any VVIP. One wonders what these lethargic officials do if, God forbid, a celebrity or top leader falls victim in such tragic incidents.
Of course, the government of the day comes up with lame excuses like 'the crowd turnout was unparalleled this time' and announce compensations to the grieving kin of the victim, while subsequently making a scapegoat of a low-ranking officer for the tragedy. They never accept their follies like woeful crowd management shortcomings and insipid security apparatus. Stampedes, including non-religious congregations, have turned deadly across years and decades like during the satsang at Hathras; at the famed Mata Vaishno Devi shrine; at a bathing spot on the banks of the Godavari river during 'Pushkaram' festival in Rajahmundry; Navratri festivities near Ratangarh temple in Datia district; during the Chhath Puja on the banks of river Ganga in Patna; in Haridwar on the banks of the Ganga river; at least 104 Sabarimala devotees were killed in a stampede when a jeep crashed into homebound pilgrims at Pulmedu; at Ram Janki temple of Kripalu Maharaj in UP's Pratapgarh district, while nearly 250 devotees were killed in a stampede following rumours of a bomb going off at Chamunda Devi temple in Jodhpur.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi has 'magnanimously' transferred the District Collector and SP while also suspending a DCP and a Commandant, who he squarely blamed for the Puri fracas. It is debatable if such a 'punishment' will serve any purpose and ensure that man-made calamities do not strike into the future. After all, Indians lack discipline when it comes to having darshan of the deity, which inevitably leads to unmanageable chaos. Majhi's punishment makes one wonder if it is the same land where Lal Bahadur Shastri and Madhavrao Scindia had resigned as railway and civil aviation ministers, respectively, owning moral responsibility for accidents that happened during their tenure.