Praygraj: How many Hindu devotees were killed and injured in a series of stampedes at Mahakumbh? How many corpses were removed by excavators from the places ravaged by stampedes? How many injured are being treated in the government and private hospitals?
Nobody would ever know, for sure. With a majority of media houses striving to show only one side of the view, which suits the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh, it’s really difficult to fathom the exact number of deaths and injured at Mahakumbh.
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Chief minister Yogi Adityanath gave an emotional message on television channels, which were broadcast on social media also, after 10-12 hours of the stampede. But, he did not refer about any casualty and asked people not to heed to rumours. He only said some people were injured and a few of them were critically hurt.
Wary of the ruling dispensation image, even senior officers, who were responsible for manning order in the mela premises kept on lying about the mismanagement and mishandling of the situation, which led to deaths of more than 100 people. The deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, who has been vested with the responsibility of supervising the crowd management strategy, confirmed only 30 deaths and 60 injured.
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But, eyewitnesses claimed that more than 100 devotees were killed in at least two separate incidents of stampede, while the police and administration are telling the media only about one incident. “There was a major stampede near Haldiram sweet shop. Scores of bodies were taken out from the shop itself. The shop in the mela premises was looted of cash worth more than ₹1.80 lakh and vandalised by an unruly crowd,” said the shop owner, adding that there was no mention about the accident.
A young girl, who was seen helping local staff removing the pile of debris, consisting of devotees’ belongings, claimed that dead bodies were taken in sacks last night (on the intervening night of Mauni Amawasya. “There were mounds of cloth, bags, blankets, sweaters, jacketes, shoes and challaps and half empty water bottles, supposedly left by the devotees, running here and there to save their lives. But many were not luckier and were crushed to death under feets wildly running people,” said another eyewitness.
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Judicial probe ordered
Moved by widespread condemnation due to mishandling of the situation at the fair, the clips of which went viral on social media despite checks, the Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a judicial probe into the deaths in stampedes at the Mahakumbh. Millions of Hindu devotees have been thronging Prayagraj, erstwhile Allahabad, for a ritual bath (kumbh snan) at the confluence of three sacred rivers–Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.
State government confirmed only 40 deaths
Although more than 100 people were feared killed in the stampedes, the state authorities confirmed deaths of about three dozen people. They said 60 people were injured and being treated at different hospitals.
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Chief minister Yogi Adityanath said a separate investigation will be launched into the police lapses after eyewitnesses blamed poor police management for the stampede.
Distraught families wait excruciatingly for dead bodies
Distraught families gathered outside temporary medical centres, searching for missing relatives, while emergency teams attended to the injured and police struggled to regain control over the crowds.On Wednesday, which was Mauni Amasya–the most auspicious day for bathing at Kumbh, a record 100 million devotees had poured in at the pilgrimage site.
Sack Yogi Adityanath for deaths: Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand
Shankaracharya of Joshimath Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati blasted at chief minister Yogi Adityanath for not disclosing the casualty at Mahakumbh and demanded his immediate sacking. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah to immediately sack Yogi Adityanath as the CM for playing with lives of followers of Sanatan dharma. “We would have kept fast the next day to pray for the peace of departed souls, had he (Yogi Adityanath) disclosed about the tragic deaths of the devotees. He did not make any reference about the casualty in the stampede,” said Swami Avimukteshwaranand.
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Swami ji was also very critical about offering VIP treatment to select people, saying how there could be any distinction between two sets of people.”In the lap of Maa Ganga, all devotees enjoy the same status. All people have gathered here for the same purpose. I and those from the scheduled caste are taking bath at the same place. This is the beauty of Mahakumbh. Nobody is asking about the cast of others,” said Shankaracharya.
No VIP movement for Shahi Snan on Feb 3
Following the criticism, the state police have announced a check on the VIP movement for the upcoming “royal bath” on 3 February, which is one of the most auspicious days of the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Uttar Pradesh.
Opposition parties had criticised the government for mismanagement and prioritising VIPs ahead of the crowd crush at the world’s largest religious gathering where at least 30 people were killed and dozens suffered injuries.
“Just like no VIP movement was allowed on 29 January, no VIP movement will be allowed on 3 February,” Vaibhav Krishna, DIG at the festival, told reporters.
Cause of stampede
Eyewitnesses said that the barricades put up by the police to protect the VIP area were the major cause for stampede. “The devotees queuing to take a holy bath on Wednesday morning were pleading with police to open barricaded routes to thin out a surging crowd just moments before the deadly stampede broke out. But the police kept on showing lathis to drive them away. Soon people squeezed in the massive crowd began fainting, creating panic at the Maha Kumbh Mela area,” they said.
