Karur stampede exposes failure to learn lessons

IT’s disturbing that stampedes are acquiring an air of inevitability in India. The script largely remains the same — only the scene of the tragedy and the crowd-pullers change. The latest incident happened in Tamil Nadu’s Karur on Saturday; 40 people died in a stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s rally, where his delayed arrival led to chaos as the crowd kept swelling. According to DGP G Venkataraman, the organisers had estimated that about 10,000 people were expected; however, around 27,000 turned up to have a glimpse of the fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s founder-president. They waited for hours in the sun, apparently without adequate arrangement for food and water. The organisers and the police should have been better prepared, considering that overcrowding was being witnessed since September 13, when Vijay launched his state-wide tour. Moreover, no lessons were learnt from similar incidents in other states this year, such as the stampede outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives in June.

The Karur episode has triggered a political war of words months ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The ruling DMK has lashed out at Vijay, while his party has approached the Madras High Court, seeking a probe by the CBI or a Special Investigation Team. The main Opposition party, the AIADMK, has blamed the police and the local administration. Amid the brazen one-upmanship, this incident is a wake-up call for political parties and authorities not just in Tamil Nadu but across the country. The Centre and states must jointly work out a strict procedure for granting nod to public events, besides a protocol for managing large crowds at political rallies, places of worship, stadiums, railways stations, etc.

Punitive measures such as jail terms and hefty fines must be taken against organisers who blatantly disregard public safety. The laxity of cops and other officials should also not go unpunished. Enough is enough — prevention of killer stampedes has to be prioritised as a pan-India mission.