Puri stampede shows no lessons learnt

TIRUPATI, Prayagraj, New Delhi, Goa, Bengaluru and now Puri — stampedes are disturbingly becoming par for the course in India. There is a sense of déjà vu about the sequence of events every time — innocent people lose their lives, the government expresses condolences, the victims’ families receive compensation, a probe is ordered, and officials are sacked, suspended or transferred. The hope that lessons will be learnt to prevent such incidents is being repeatedly dashed. In the wee hours of Sunday, three persons were killed and over 50 injured in a stampede near a temple in Odisha’s Puri during a Jagannath Rath Yatra-related ceremony. The ruling BJP finds itself on the back foot — weeks after it tore into Karnataka’s Congress government over the horrific chaos outside Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi has tendered an apology on behalf of his government, but this gesture will mean nothing if those responsible for the lapses are not brought to justice in a time-bound manner. The allegation that a special entry for VIPs led to overcrowding must be thoroughly probed. Such incidents dent public trust in the authorities, with lesser mortals fearing that their lives are on the line whenever they become a part of large crowds.

There is, however, a silver lining to this dark cloud. The Karnataka government has proposed a legislation to “effectively manage and control crowds at sponsored events and venues of mass gathering” such as political rallies and religious congregations. The provision of conducting an independent audit of every venue’s capacity, entry/exit routes, emergency evacuation options and communication systems can help in ensuring that there is no compromise on public safety. Other states can create their own legal framework to punish violations by event organisers. Nothing less than a zero-tolerance approach is acceptable; otherwise, the next killer stampede will inevitably happen sooner than later.

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