Won one battle. Many more to win. I opened todays paper to read about Phailin and Ratangarh, but some how I knew what I was going to find. We as a country stood tall in face of calamity which could have killed thousands, but toll has been limited to 20 only. Kudos to the concerted effort of all the agencies . But Kaal wanted its Bhog and took more than 100 lives at Ratangarh temple in Datiya, MP. Apparently, it was a rumor of bridge collapse. Others say it was a mild use of sticks to maintain order in queue which led to stampede. Significantly, in both the instances there is a history. We as a country appear to learn lesson at Government level and prepare for a calamity. This preparedness worked in Odisha and AP. But somehow there was no preparedness in Ratangarh, even though a new bridge was constructed, stampede occurred and killed more than hundred people. Why this battle was lost at Ratangarh? Similar occurrences have been seen at railway station at Delhi, In Kumbh, Pawagrh in Gujarat where it was again a true copy of what happened at Ratangarh and in Ratangarh itself in 2007. Why it happens? One common factor is huge Human gathering confined to one place and narrow exit! Tailor made situation . People are sitting ducks. A Disaster waiting to happen! What if some rumor-monger, mischief-seeker, conspirator stared it? Is this a possibility? Meanwhile, one report says, in Puri, one beach slum and its occupants were saved by a whisker from death. They adamantly refused to move away to safety. There escape from certain death is said to be miraculous. Now is there any need to be heroic like this? Suppose the tide were higher and washed them away, in that case death toll will rise and all effort which is lauded, will start looking mediocre only because few people refused to listen to sanity and reason! In the stampedes, Human-factor is a major factor . In Temples like Tirupati Balaji , where devotees throng all days of year, they have made permanent arrangements to control queue. That kind of arrangement is not possible where devotees come in huge numbers once a year, STILL it is time we recognize that every huge gathering is a potential stampede-bomb. I would say, where-ever you go; look carefully all around if it is a huge gathering, think and make a tentative plan in case a disaster strikes! Lets see how Government respond to it. Can they get above politics or not? P.S: Another battle was lost in Pune, but who cares! They will make amends. ~ Rakesh Kumar Singh Sir.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 05:41:35 +0000
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