In the stampede at New Delhi Station, the deaths are not just accidents but are tantamount to murder, with mismanagement being hidden through media and advertisements
Advocate Harsh Gautam, NDPI
Townhall Times: Today, a sudden stampede occurred at New Delhi Station, resulting in the deaths of eighteen people, more than fifteen injured, and several missing. This is the second such incident during the Kumbh Mela; a previous stampede at the Kumbh resulted in the deaths of over thirty people. According to statements from Akhilesh Yadav and others, the actual death toll is higher. Despite such incidents, accidents continue to occur during the Kumbh, and the direct responsibility lies with the leaders, government, and media. However, advertisements portray the Kumbh as a grand and divine event, while the media is doing everything possible to hide the mismanagement, likely due to the large sums of money from advertisements paid to all channels.
Shri Harsh Gautam of the New Democratic Party of India stated that if the government continues with such policies, it can be considered that the government is directly responsible for the deaths of people in these accidents, as they are not learning from these incidents, and the media continues to defend both the government and administration.
During this Maha Kumbh, the level of mismanagement has resulted in traffic jams up to twenty kilometers, with poor arrangements for food, water, and accommodation. There is no proper food arrangement, and issues range from stampedes to fires, long walks, no space on trains, and no buses. It’s as if people have made a big mistake by coming to the Kumbh.
The most alarming issue is that whenever any opposition member talks about the mismanagement at the Kumbh or raises questions, the government, especially Yogi ji and their spokespersons, deflect the criticism by claiming that these questions are being raised to defame Hindus, as the opposition is anti-BJP and anti-Sanatani. However, the opposition argues that they are also Hindus and Sanatanis, and their sole purpose is to ensure that people attending the Kumbh face no difficulties.
It has become a common practice that local bikers are exploiting the pilgrims’ helplessness. They are charging hundreds, or even thousands, of rupees for just a few kilometers.
The worst situation is that the traffic control police seem helpless, merely watching people suffer. Traffic jams extend for miles, and despite the deployment of several officers by the Yogi government, it won’t make much difference now as alternative routes can no longer be created.
VIPs are treated differently, while the treatment of common pilgrims by the police is entirely another story. The government should have ensured that the police personnel assigned to major events like the Maha Kumbh were trained in proper conduct, especially those who are familiar with the layout of the event. However, the government is only showcasing everything as perfect in advertisements, while the ground realities are dire.
The expansion of the Kumbh Mela, the facilities, and the use of technology are all fine, but what use is it when they are of no practical value? In the end, the government has failed to take a long-term view of the event, appointing incompetent people, and instead of working properly, they are flooding newspapers and channels with advertisements and their spokespersons are seen crying behind the shield of religion. It feels like the common people attending the Kumbh are being neglected as the government is only focused on fulfilling its Hindu political agenda. Moreover, the government’s supporters even talk about devotees dying at the Kumbh as if it leads them to salvation.
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