The Kumbh Stampede: How Modi And Yogi’s Political Theater Turned Devotion Into Disaster – OpEd

By

A sea of humanity surged towards the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati, seeking salvation in the Maha Kumbh’s holiest ritual. But instead of spiritual transcendence, chaos erupted.

A stampede on Mauni Amavasya Snan claimed at least 30 lives and left several dozens injured—one of the deadliest tragedies in the history of the world’s largest religious gathering. As desperate cries filled the air and bodies were trampled underfoot, a fundamental question emerged: Was this disaster merely an administrative failure, or was it the inevitable consequence of a politically engineered religious spectacle designed to serve the ruling BJP’s electoral ambitions?

What Happened?

On January 29, 2025, the Mauni Amavasya Snan—one of the most auspicious bathing rituals in Hinduism—turned into a nightmarish scene of horror. Devotees, many elderly and frail, had travelled from across India and beyond, seeking divine blessings in the sacred waters of the Sangam at Prayagraj. But poor crowd control, inadequate emergency measures, and the notorious VIP culture resulted in a catastrophic stampede. Thousands were squeezed into dangerously tight spaces, and when panic set in, the weakest among them had no escape.

Eyewitness accounts paint a grim picture: a surge triggered by barricades erected for VIPs created a human funnel, trapping devotees. When the crowd broke through, the force of the stampede was unstoppable. In a matter of minutes, hundreds were crushed beneath a stampede of panicked bodies, with survivors recounting the horror of feeling the breath crushed out of them.

A Political Spectacle Disguised as Devotion

This year’s Maha Kumbh was not just a religious gathering; it was an election campaign in saffron robes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath transformed the event into a Hindutva spectacle, branding it as an unparalleled moment of religious glory. Official messaging emphasised that the 2025 Maha Kumbh was uniquely sacred—a once-in-144-year ‘Amrit Yoga’ opportunity for salvation. State-sponsored media relentlessly pushed the narrative that a dip in the Sangam would guarantee moksha, subtly reinforcing the idea that faith, not political accountability, was the path to deliverance.

For the BJP, this wasn’t just a religious gathering—it was an opportunity to consolidate its Hindu vote bank in Uttar Pradesh, which will soon head into assembly elections alongside several other states. With rising inflation, widespread unemployment, and deepening economic distress under the Modi government, the Maha Kumbh became a convenient distraction. Why worry about food, jobs, or housing when ‘salvation’ could be achieved with a mere dip in the river?

This instrumentalization of faith was further reinforced by state-sponsored TV channels and newspaper propaganda. The relentless messaging sought to convert the crisis-ridden lives of millions into an exercise in spiritual submission. As Karl Marx famously said, “Religion is the opium of the people.” In Modi and Yogi’s India, it is more than opium—it is a political strategy.

The VIP Culture That Exacerbated the Disaster

This was not a freak accident—it was an avoidable tragedy exacerbated by systemic failures. At the heart of the chaos lay a deeply entrenched culture of political privilege that prioritizes the elite over the masses. Security personnel, instead of managing the common devotees, were deployed to clear paths for ministers, bureaucrats, and select Hindu seers. Meanwhile, millions of pilgrims were left to navigate an over-congested and ill-planned space without sufficient exits.

Such mismanagement is not new. In 1954, a similar Kumbh tragedy claimed over 800 lives. In 2013, 36 people were killed at the Allahabad railway station in a post-Kumbh stampede. Despite these disasters, the administration continues to repeat the same deadly mistakes.

Government’s Response: Denial and Deflection

The response from the U.P. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has been predictably evasive. Officials rushed to downplay the incident, calling it an “unfortunate but unavoidable accident.” They framed the stampede as the result of an overwhelming turnout rather than a failure of crowd control and logistics. Yet, multiple reports indicate that inadequate infrastructure, poor coordination, and VIP mismanagement were the real culprits.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s central government, quick to use religious spectacles for political messaging, maintained a troubling silence. The tragedy that unfolded was not merely an administrative lapse; it was a damning indictment of a state apparatus more concerned with optics than lives.

Opposition and Public Outcry

Opposition parties have launched scathing critiques of the government’s failure. Rahul Gandhi condemned the tragedy as “criminal negligence disguised as religious fervour.” Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party called for a judicial probe, stating, “This was not an accident—it was a massacre of neglect.” Mamata Banerjee questioned why crores were spent on glorifying the event while pilgrims were left at the mercy of chaos.

Social media, often the barometer of public outrage, erupted in criticism, with hashtags like #KumbhTragedy and #VIPCultureKills trending globally. Videos of the stampede, showing bodies stacked on top of each other, further fuelled public anger.

Lessons from the Past, Ignored Again

India has hosted countless religious mega-events, yet tragedies like these continue to unfold. With advancements in crowd management technology—AI-driven monitoring, predictive flow algorithms, and emergency intervention strategies—why does disaster strike with such tragic regularity?

Experts argue that India’s failure stems from a mix of administrative apathy and political complacency. Unlike global events like the Hajj, which has seen significant safety advancements after past stampedes, Indian religious gatherings remain vulnerable to disorganization, politicization, and outdated crowd management techniques.

A Broken System: Where Do We Go from Here?

This tragedy raises fundamental questions about India’s priorities. Can religious faith continue to justify human sacrifice on the altar of incompetence? Will the government finally take real steps to modernize event management, or will another stampede a few years from now be met with the same excuses?

The Maha Kumbh is a testament to India’s spiritual resilience—but it should not be a death sentence. Until political theatrics are replaced with genuine concern for public safety, history will continue to repeat itself, with more innocent lives lost to the same fatal missteps.

Debashis Chakrabarti

Debashis Chakrabarti is an international media scholar and social scientist, currently serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Politics and Media. With extensive experience spanning 35 years, he has held key academic positions, including Professor and Dean at Assam University, Silchar. Prior to academia, Chakrabarti excelled as a journalist with The Indian Express. He has conducted impactful research and teaching in renowned universities across the UK, Middle East, and Africa, demonstrating a commitment to advancing media scholarship and fostering global dialogue.

One thought on “The Kumbh Stampede: How Modi And Yogi’s Political Theater Turned Devotion Into Disaster – OpEd

  • January 31, 2025 at 4:29 am
    Permalink

    Kumbh Mela; “The biggest gathering of humanity on the planet.” It’s pure joy and ecstasy. No animal sacrifices, no bloodshed… no conversions, … no trade, no business. It’s Hinduism. – Khalid Umar.
    No one disputes the gravity of the incident BUT the incident has become Oppositions fodder to take on Modi and Yogi. Once again one sees a deep-seated bias—where calamities at Indian religious gatherings are framed as headlines. Why is the management of centuries-old event like the Kumbh Mela a spiritual pilgrimage of over 400 million people is not appreciated?

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *