Fatal Devotion

The stampede at the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj, which claimed at least 30 lives and injured scores more, was an avoidable tragedy. The Uttar Pradesh government, fully aware that tens of millions would gather for the Amrit Snan, had months to prepare. Instead, it failed to control the surging crowds, exposing glaring weaknesses in its ability to manage large-scale events. The disaster not only highlights India’s chronic crowd indiscipline but also raises questions about whether the state’s intelligence agencies ignored potential risks or worse, whether they were blindsided by a deeper conspiracy.

This is not the first time such a catastrophe has occurred at an Indian religious congregation, nor is it likely to be the last. The combination of official complacency, a lack of discipline among Indian crowds, and, potentially, an intelligence lapse, paints a damning picture of administrative incompetence. In 1954, over 800 people died in a similar stampede while in 2013, another 42 perished during the event.

What makes this failure more egregious is that officials knew what was coming. The Maha Kumbh this year was set to be the largest ever, drawing an estimated 400 million devotees due to a rare planetary alignment that made this edition particularly auspicious. The government has poured thousands of crores into the event, yet its crowd management measures proved woefully inadequate.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s post-facto orders - relocating street vendors and preventing overcrowding – were steps that should have been implemented pre-emptively before Mauni Amavasya, one of the busiest days of the festival. The lack of proper holding areas, inadequate barricading and insufficient emergency exits turned the Sangam area into a death trap.

Blaming the administration alone, however, would be simplistic. Indian crowds are notoriously undisciplined, often disregarding security instructions in their rush to gain an advantage. The instinct to push forward, disregard barricades and flout regulations is deeply ingrained. Unlike in countries where large gatherings follow strict queuing and movement protocols, crowds in India show no civic sense. Witnesses at the Sangam reported that barricades were broken as devotees surged forward, trampling those in their path. This kind of reckless behaviour is not unique to the Kumbh. Political rallies and festivals across India routinely devolve into chaos because attendees refuse to adhere to basic order.

That said, the government’s responsibility is to anticipate and plan for such behaviour. Beyond administrative incompetence, there is another, more sinister possibility. The timing and nature of the stampede have led some to speculate whether it was more than just an accident. If there was any foul play - whether in the form of a political or extremist attempt, or simply a dangerous prank – will be determined only after the probe. But if true, then this points to an intelligence failure on the part of the Uttar Pradesh government. All said, one thing is clear as the investigation unfolds that the Prayagraj stampede was a failure of governance at multiple levels.