Hathras stampede

The Hathras stampede of July 2, 2024, which claimed 121 lives, stands as yet another grim reminder of administrative negligence, lack of planning and the perils of unregulated mass gatherings. The judicial inquiry report, tabled in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday, exposes glaring lapses in crowd management, haphazard permissions and a troubling abdication of responsibility by the authorities. The most damning revelation is the mechanical approval of the event. The permission process, completed in a day without any site inspection, reeks of bureaucratic complacency. The organisers estimated 80,000 attendees, yet over 2.5 lakh devotees swarmed the venue. Despite this, no proactive crowd control measures were in place. Water tankers stationed near a muddy highway created a treacherous ground and sevadars — rather than trained personnel — were tasked with managing the crowd.

The report also hints at a conspiracy angle, suggesting attempts to misdirect the probe through suspicious affidavits and misleading narratives. Yet, in its reluctance to directly indict Bhole Baba, the panel leaves room for ambiguity. The absence of his name from the FIR and charge-sheet raises uncomfortable questions — does faith shield individuals from accountability? The recommendations, including mandatory videography, stricter permission protocols and the use of drones for crowd-monitoring, are welcome. But the real challenge lies in ensuring their implementation. In a country where religious gatherings at times morph into stampedes (Maha Kumbh being the latest), will this tragedy serve as a wake-up call or merely be buried under bureaucratic inertia?

The Hathras disaster wasn’t an accident; it was an avoidable catastrophe. Holding mid-level officials accountable while letting powerful organisers off the hook cannot be the takeaway. The state must move beyond damage control and enforce real, systemic reforms.