Crushed by sheer unconcern

Another 450 have been injured and the toll is expected to rise. But are we shocked by the calamity that took place on Tuesday and claimed more lives than any recent terrorist attack in the country?

Sheer numbers often force us to sit up and take notice. One hundred and fifty lives were snuffed out in a span of a few minutes on Tuesday at the Chamunda Devi temple in Jodhpur. Another 450 have been injured and the toll is expected to rise. But are we shocked by the calamity that took place on Tuesday and claimed more lives than any recent terrorist attack in the country? Alas, no. People who are supposed to be entrusted with arrangements at such conglomerations, especially during the festive season — state governments and temple authorities — don’t learn from the past. Pointless tragedies like the one at Chamunda Devi temple happen — judicial commissions are set up, VIPs visit the injured and compensation is dished out like recurring fatalistic prasad. But nothing changes and we wait for the next tragedy to strike.

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The stampede, which took place over less than three hours after the temple opened on Navaratri, was triggered when some pilgrims standing in the men’s queue lost balance, thanks to the flowing coconut water on the path leading to the sanctum sanctorum. Reportedly, the rumour of a bomb only fuelled the panic. Whatever may have been the trigger, the fact that the incident happened a day after the police and the temple authorities supervised the arrangements proves that there were serious gaps in the crowd management procedures. When such a rush is an annual feature this time of the year (8,000-10,000 people were gathered in the complex at the time of the accident), the arrangements should have factored in these numbers. What makes this incident unpardonable is the fact that this year we have already had two similar incidents: at Naina Devi temple, Himachal Pradesh, and at Mahadeva temple, Rajasthan.