India’s Crowd Control Crisis

India continues to witness a worrying pattern of crowd mismanagement, with Haridwar emerging as the latest tragic example. 
 
On 27th July 2025, a deadly stampede at Mansa Devi Temple during the Shravan season claimed 6–8 lives and injured over 34 devotees, including women and children.
  
The tragic incident that occurred in Haridwar’s Mansa Devi temple, was on a narrow stairway, worsened by panic over a rumoured fallen electric wire—highlighting once again the lack of preparedness and safety measures at mass religious gatherings.
 
This follows closely after the Bangalore stadium stampede in June 2025, reinforcing concerns over repeated administrative failures. 

 
Despite previous tragedies like Hathras (121 deaths), the Delhi railway stampede (18 deaths) and a stampede during the Puri Rath Yatra on June 29, 2025, resulted in the deaths of three people and injuries to over 50 others  at temples, train stations, and public events, systemic reform remains absent. 
 
NDMA guidelines are routinely overlooked, infrastructure is inadequate, and accountability is minimal.

These disasters are not mere accidents—they are man-made tragedies stemming from negligence. 
 
If law enforcement and local authorities cannot ensure safety at such events, large gatherings must be restricted. 
 
India cannot afford to normalize chaos and loss of life in the name of devotion or celebration.
 
 It’s time crowd management becomes a governance priority—not a post-tragedy headline.