Avert stampede deaths, don’t politicise them
Andhra Pradesh has been shaken after 11 people died and several others sustained injuries in two stampedes within a week at TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s public meetings in Nellore and Guntur districts. Political rallies with massive crowds in attendance are common. But back-to-back stampedes are definitely uncommon. To ensure such incidents do not recur, one needs to look closely at how things went south. To blame the police is a knee-jerk reaction, though it must be said that the department is primarily responsible for maintaining order.
However, the organisers should also shoulder some blame if they mobilise crowds in far larger numbers than permitted. This seems to be the case in Guntur. An NGO, and a few TDP leaders, it appears, together organised the event ostensibly to distribute Pongal gifts. The police say they had deployed more than 200 personnel. The situation spiralled out of control, clearly due to the delay in the distribution of the kits and the unexpected surge in crowds. In Nellore, too, narrow lanes packed with crowds led to unfortunate deaths. An impartial inquiry should be conducted to find the reasons behind the twin tragedies.
Regrettably, a political slugfest has unfolded, with the TDP smelling a conspiracy and the ruling YSRC holding Naidu’s alleged penchant for publicity responsible for the stampedes. The parties know fully well that mammoth meetings come with a risk, particularly when ‘gifts’ are on offer. For instance, in West Bengal, three people died in a stampede at a blanket distribution event organised by the BJP last month. For the TDP to claim that stampedes result from some conspiracy is absurd. Similarly, to accuse Naidu of having the blood of the innocent on his hands isn’t appropriate. What happened was a tragedy. We must have a proper dialogue to find a solution so that democratic programmes go smoothly. Instead, we have an ugly political fight. Surprisingly, a government order was issued late on Monday, prohibiting meetings and rallies on state and national highways and municipal and panchayat roads.
Is this the solution? Sure, political rallies could be held on grounds without causing trouble to anyone. But then, the order impinges on the fundamental right to peaceful assembly. Both the YSRC and the TDP are taking extreme positions instead of addressing the issue at hand.