Another stampede and scores die,
this is something we hear so very often. Then the aftermath, this time around
there is vicious politicization. When scores of people are undergoing immense
hardship how can these people use this as platform for political bickering. The
sickness of mind is entering the system. There are some loud mouthed lawyers
turned politicians who have taken over Indian politics who should be told to
keep their vagrant mouth firmly shut, they dwell in the illusion of cleverness.
Secondly this is not This Vs That, significantly it is more of an
administrative failure than political.
I was at Mysore deshara procession
the other day. Rarely do I go to places that are crowded, it is a different
matter that I don’t have choice on these matters, so mostly end up in crowded
places. In India every nook gets crowded whether street, trains or buses. God
has been gracious! We stood for about
two hours in the scorching sun, I was told some were squatting the prime
location since morning. What was supposed to start at 12.30 to 1.00 pm (in this
part of the world nothing can be sure. The elite likes it that way, it hides
their incompetence. It has firmly percolated into the mindset of common people.
So you can say it is way of life) started at about 3.00pm, in the meanwhile the
swarm had swelled. Sensing something ‘not very right’ I moved towards the edge of
the crowd along the elevated sidewalk and squeezed in for a good view. There
were kids in their best dress crumpled by travelling crowded transport (though
Mysore is relatively quaint place, I haven’t experienced any traffic jams!! But
today everything was packed and chaotic) and having spent inordinately long
period sitting in the sun had dampened their spirit. 
So began the procession after
much hooting, and some dancing to tawdry songs, that the authorities so
graciously decided to play, by youth who had climbed the top of nearby
buildings and trees. Invariably festive occasion, mostly religious, have some loud
vulgar songs being played as part of entertainment (which of course is part of
freedom of expression, in this case religious expression). The temple squatters
who have views and shlokas for every goddamn thing don’t really have much
control over these critical matters, indeed they actively support these. To
attract crowd I believe, that is more earning and brand building for the local god.
Subtlety is not something that has percolated over centuries of manipulation. As
the procession started with finely decked resplendent elephants, they looked
amazing but I was thinking is this really the place for elephants? They should
be the jungle nibbling the grub in abandon rather than walking on a tarred road
on a hot day… But my thoughts were interrupted by the mass that was getting
excited and wanted to get a better view, slowly this multiplied and very soon
there was stampede. Children were getting crushed, and people were screaming
“police help”. There were many police posted but none where it was needed,
they had taken position what was
comfortable for them and not what is critical for crowd control (you look
at the picture herein, you could see atleast eleven cops enjoying the show,
some are sitting in the bus nearby). In the meanwhile as people were getting
crushed the cops weren’t much concerned, they saw it but looked the other way,
indeed some were not sure what to do? After ten odd minutes as the things were
getting grievously out of control, an SI arrived he surveyed the scene with
such calmness in his face that it was nothing short of astounding. I was
thinking this is what happens after centuries of inbreeding, the calmness to
look at misery with equanimity wherein you’re the responsible person. Finally an
old lady who was on the verge of exhaustion abused him and shouted “doesn’t he
has family, cannot he see the problem” (I am not terribly good at Kannada
language but can get the drift). The SI managed a meek smile having had his
pride recently trampled in public, and asked few constables –who were watching
the procession with great ease rather than any concern for people shouting, to
sought out, meanwhile his demeanor suggesting he hasn’t given much significance
to the unfolding tragedy. And so entered some very annoyed cops and they
started to swing lathis to the very people who were shouting for help,
thankfully children were spared, or maybe they missed it. This is crowd control
as taught to Indian police force, I am sure as part of colonial legacy. Why
blame, politicians are more interested in using the police than any meaningful
reforms. Incidentally the SI reminded me of Manmohan Singh, such wise visage,
it takes centuries of inbreeding and heredity of manipulative nuances from the
sanctum sanctorum precinct that everything becomes preordained, precisely what
was playing in the mind of the SI. Such features are sometimes mistaken for
humbleness, but then they are really
quite humble, it comes with effortless ease and correctness of words. Just that
from a stringent observation these are gross and in the context criminal. Like
many I left the place at the earliest, so waited for two hours and left in
fifteen minutes. So much so for famed Mysore dashera atleast in Dantewada
dashera (I did enjoy that one) there is a tradition of swinging lathis, and you
are forewarned. 
In MP were more than 100 people died
in temple stampede, eyewitness mention that cops threw away injured children
into the river as they wanted to reduce the death toll figure. I am sure the
temple squatters are waiting for compelling miracle stories. It is the failure
of administration, guilty cops shouldn’t be transferred (wow, such subtleties)
or suspended but arrested. People who are
responsible should be held responsible. It seems people who are responsible
take their job as an act of service, which of course is voluntary, indeed it is
we who are indebted. Interestingly the police commissioner of Mysore was at
turf club the other day distributing prizes, such a humble man taking time out
from his busy schedule. It was humble moment for everyone concerned. It is a different
matter that his attention might not have gone to wanton manipulation/fixing
that happens in turf club itself or that this space is a public health hazard
with people spitting, smoking all the while and food served in unhygienic
surrounding, that it should be served a notice and shut down immediately. Indeed
I have seen cops in uniform indulging in wagering wherein they are supposed to
enforce rules, it is a serious dereliction of duty. The tradition of temple
squatters prescribes that you need very little space to fatten yourself
concurrently it’s all in the mind.
