29

Jan

Euphoria, Vast Multitude of the devout Responsible for Kumbh Stampede

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Prof Pradeep Mathur

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New Delhi | Wednesday | 29 January 2025

Political ambitions backed by a lust of exhibitionism, an attempt to convert a matter of faith into big business and the irrational zeal of the devout have led to an entirely avoidable human tragedy in which scores of people have lost their lives and hundreds have been injured. The actual number of deaths and those injured will always be difficult to know.

In all fairness those who were elated about the arrival of crores of people in Kumbh should not be blamed for the inadequacy of arrangements as not even a fool-proof system can manage such a vast multitude of humanity for so many people? The problem was the euphoria created about the sanctity of the 2025 Kumbh as a holy event taking place after 144 years. The once-in-a life-time event naturally mobilised a huge number of devout Hindus and others to move towards Prayagraj.

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Article at a Glance
The recent Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj has resulted in a tragic stampede, leading to numerous fatalities and injuries among the massive crowd of devotees drawn by the event's significance, occurring once every 144 years.
The chaos unfolded around 2 am during the auspicious Moni Amavasya snan, as many pilgrims, burdened with heavy luggage, became disoriented after bathing. The lack of adequate arrangements for such a vast number of attendees contributed to the disaster, echoing past incidents, including a 2013 stampede that claimed over 36 lives and a catastrophic event in 1954 that resulted in over 800 deaths.
 The article highlights the recurring nature of these tragedies at the Kumbh Mela and questions whether the current government will transparently address the circumstances surrounding the latest incident.

The stampede took place  around 2 am for a very trivial reason. A large number of devotees who reached the nose of Sangam for the auspicious Moni Amavyasa snan did not know where to go after bathing. They were carrying heavy luggage on their heads and some of the  could iron dustbins kept there. Some people hit these boxes and  fell on the ground after losing balance. They  were trampled by those coming behind them. The was not arrangement or security related. It was of vast multitude of pilgrims. 

 

This is not the first such incident in the history of Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, which was then known as Allahabad. More than 36 people lost their lives in a massive stampede on 10th February 2013. This stampede also took place on Mauni Amavasya, the most sacred day of Kumbh,.

 

The 2013 Kumbh stampede took place  at the Allahabad railway station as an estimated 30 million people had arrived in Allahabad to  take the holy bath. The SP government headed by Akhilesh Yadav was in office then. The BJP created such a ruckus that the then UP cabinet minister and Kumbh Mela in-charge Mohammad Azam Khan had to resign taking moral responsibility for the tragedy.

 

But, the most horrific stampede took place in the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad on 3 February 1954 when more than 800 people died .In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the 1954 incident in a public meeting. He said that efforts were made to hide and suppress the horrific incident of Prayagraj Kumbh 1954. So should we expect that Mr Modi, who criticizes Nehru at all possible occasions will allow his party’s government to present the truth of the 2025 Kumbh stampede?

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