Spare a thought for the madding crowd across India
The Centre and states would be well advised to pay heed to the National Disaster Management Authority guidelines on crowd management.
Updated At : 02:22 PM Jun 17, 2025 IST
Unpardonable: The authorities failed to anticipate the huge rush as 2-3 lakh people thronged Chinnaswamy Stadium, which has a capacity of around 35,000. PTI
LARGE crowds are par for the course in India, which overtook China as the world's most populous nation a couple of years ago. Be it political rallies/roadshows or religious congregations, there are just too many people around — literally stepping on each other's toes and frantically jostling to get a better view not only of the spectacle but also of their beloved neta or baba. A mishap is always waiting to happen, and the fact that it happens only occasionally is nothing short of miraculous. That's where complacency creeps in: The organisers and the local authorities assume that the occasion will pass off peacefully, as a matter of routine. And when it doesn't, all hell breaks loose.
