The scale of the tragedy calls for strict accountability with those in charge of the metropolitan police handling law and order, traffic, etc., to be held accountable
It is most unfortunate that the celebration of a cricket team’s victory in the cash-rich IPL should turn into a tragedy taking 11 young lives and causing traumatic injuries to several dozens of people around the cricket stadium in the centre of Bengaluru. The shocking failure of crowd control protocols by the police was as much to blame as the RCB cricket team’s unseemly haste in arranging a victory bash less than 24 hours after a much-cherished victory had come on the field in Ahmedabad.
Politicians of all hues love to be associated with sporting triumphs, especially if they are of the cricketing variety because of the sport’s popularity in the country. But those in power had failed totally in going along with the team’s eagerness to cash in on the frenzy of fans to hold a celebration without proper arrangements could be made to secure the venue and its surroundings with the posting of adequate police force and standard operating procedures in crowd control.
Any number of questions remains unanswered as unseemly haste seemed to drive the celebration, be it at the state legislature complex where felicitation of the winners took place or at the cricket stadium where stampedes took place at several entrances. Was it not the state government’s responsibility in controlling such a public event even if it was conducted by a cricket club under the aegis of the state cricket association? A shocking passing of the buck was witnessed in the Karnataka high court which held a suo motu hearing into the loss of lives.
Whether the collapse of a temporary slab placed on a drain caused it or overenthusiastic young girls contributed by rushing to entrances or people pushing and shoving while responding to rumours of gates being opened, the fact remains that the city was ill-prepared to host this event to celebrate a liquor-manufacturing company-owned IPL franchise’s success after a long wait of 18 years.
Crowd control does not come under the remit of a cricket club, however widely followed by fans it may be, which means this tragedy was born out of negligence on the part of police intelligence and inadequate security protocols like erecting barricades to regulate inflows to the venue. An unmanageable crowd in a relatively small area disproportionate to the numbers in the gathering crowds may be the root cause. It was in allowing this to happen that the blame lies and it appears the administration and the police were grossly underprepared to tackle such a huge response from frenzied cricket fans.
Adding to the public outrage was the fact that while fans were suffering outside the venue, the celebrations went on inside unhindered. Karnataka’s deputy CM did seek the benefit of doubt in this as he said people inside were unaware of the crush of people outside and the subsequent stampedes in which fatalities took place. No such untoward event had occurred in victory celebrations in the previous 17 seasons because they were well planned and held in good time rather than in haste.
The scale of the tragedy calls for strict accountability with those in charge of the metropolitan police handling law and order, traffic, etc., to be held accountable. The cricket team’s overzealous hosting of the event stands exposed. And why has no noble gesture emanated yet from the multimillionaire players since so many of their fans died. Of course, no amount of money can help bring back the dead, but the least an empathetic national sport with resources can do is to offer some salvation in such a tragic situation.
