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The most tragic part of the Maha Kumbh stampede has not been the loss of 30 lives, unfortunately. The most tragic part of the incident has been the sheer recurrence of stampede deaths at religious congregations in India, the unwillingness of the authorities to learn lessons in crowd control and the absolute disregard that ensues post the casualties.

 

“The Maha Kumbh stampede was not a big incident and is being exaggerated,” said sitting BJP MP Hema Malini just days after the pre-dawn stampede took place on January 29 claiming 30 lives and injuring over 60 people. Malini asserted that, “the congregation is being managed very well.”

 

The Maha Kumbh Mela, India’s mega spiritual carnival being held after 144 years, kicked off on January 13 and concludes on February 26.

 

Known for its cultural uniqueness, incredibly large number of devotees thronging the site and a blend of interesting visuals, history, mythology all rolled into one, Maha Kumbh Mela has often piqued the curiosity of bloggers, travellers and photojournalists from across the world. However, it has hit the world headlines just as many times for reasons completely different and regrettable.

 

According to official figures released by the government of Uttar Pradesh, at least 30 people lost their lives and 60 were injured. The cause of stampede has been pinned down to unruly crowds.

 

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in a statement that the administration was overwhelmed by huge crowds who converged at the Mela and started moving towards the holy waters at the same time, while breaking barricades and disrupting the movement.

 

But the large numbers, unruly elements and destructive crowd behaviour shouldn’t have caught the administration by surprise, let alone unprepared. Especially, given India’s history.

 

Why do security measures fail, every time?

 

The worst reported stampede death occurred at the Kumbh Mela of 1954, when nearly 800 people were trampled to death in then Allahabad on a similar occasion of Amavasya. Seven decades, and a completely different era in technology and connectivity later, the administration seems to have failed the devotees.

 

In 1986, at the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, a tragic stampede claimed at least 200 lives. It was no better in 2013, when a stampede took place at railway station after a footbridge collapsed, triggering panic and chaos that cost 42 lives.

 

Will the Indian authorities learn their lessons in crowd control?

 

Vaibhav Krishna, DIG, Mahakumbh, explained that the stampede took place “between 1 am to 2 am when a huge crowd broke the barricades.”

 

Also read: Fire breaks out at Mahakumbh Mela, firefighters at scene

 

Notably, it was not even a year ago that India witnessed its image chip away when more than 100 deaths in a stampede at a prayer meeting in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras took place in July.

 

Crores of pilgrims jostling for space is one of the oldest known challenges at religious congregations. Things are further complicated by panic reactions and unpredictable triggers leading to unruly crowd behaviour.

 

It’s all about crowd control: NDMA report

 

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), India’s apex disaster management authority had published a report in 2014 addressing crowd management and prevention of stampedes.

 

The report established that, “majority of the crowd disasters in India and developing countries have occurred at religious places.”

 

The report, while making references to many past stampedes, states that the key to preventing stampedes is crowd control. It further says that causes of stampedes can be many, from structural reasons like poor barricading, narrow entries and exits to crowd behaviour, poor security and lack of coordination.

 

The need for crowd estimates, restricted number of entries, segregation of assembled crowds has been emphasised time and again by security experts. The report further places an emphasis on mandatory registration.

 

A few of the ground reports and social media accounts of victims who experienced the tragedy first hand, claim that there were not enough ambulances to take the injured victims to hospital for timely medical assistance. Many people are still searching for their loved ones, huge sections of the large grounds showed unclaimed possessions like bags, water bottles, and bedding strewn around.

 

Why has the Maha Kumbh 2025 been an administrative failure?

 

Given the numbers involved, regular glitches are a given, but stampede deaths, traffic snarls lasting over a day, security lapses in the safety of women call for thorough investigation and complete reforms in how the Mela is managed.

 

Soon after the January 29 incident, the authorities implemented key five changes, including cancellation of VVIP passes, no vehicle zone, one way routes, among others.

 

“Were we waiting for tragedy to happen to implement these measures? Why were these not enforced from the starting itself,” questions a bereaved relative on social media.

 

Also read: Elusive dream of a 'better life': It's more serious than handcuffing

 

Two days after the grand mishap, hundreds of people were stuck in Prayagraj while attempting to leave the premises. The massive traffic jam stretching up to several kilometres, had children and the elderly entrapped for over 30 hours.

 

Just a few days after the start of the festival, a garland seller form Indore, known as Monalisa Bhonsle, who gained immense attention during the Maha Kumbh Mela, was seen in another viral video being harassed by men. In the short clip to have caught the attention of many, she can be seen being physically harassed and chased by men with no female security personnel in sight.

 

Politics takes over

 

Any debate over the true numbers of deaths, as important as it is, also subliminally sends the message that bigger the numbers, the more significant the tragedy.

 

The Yogi-government, in the meanwhile, remains tight-lipped over all of the allegations made by opposition members on the actual number of stampede deaths.

 

Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav has lashed out at the BJP by alleging that they have hidden the real death count.

 

In Rajya Sabha, during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut claimed “2000 people died,” in the dawn of January 29. “Did only 30 people die at Maha Kumbh? You should tell us the truth. Nearly 2,000 people died there. In any other country, the Prime Minister and Chief Minister would have been forced to resign,” he said.

 

In any developed nation, the ruckus wouldn’t be over the number of deaths, the stampede wouldn’t be a staple of congregations and the authorities wouldn’t wait for tragedy to happen to implement every possible crowd control measure strictly.