Kolkata: Stampede at Chorbagan Puja Pandal, 19 Dead, Questions Remain

A stampede broke out at around 7:40 PM at a Durga Puja pandal in Chorbagan (Girish Park police station area), Kolkata. This tragedy claimed the lives of 19 people. The deceased include 13 women, 4 men, and 2 children. Out of the 15 injured, 11 have been referred to SSKM Hospital, and their condition is reported to be out of danger.

According to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, the police have detained 12 people and arrested 7. These include the private security in-charge, the puja committee secretary and vice-president, pandal constructors, crowd handlers, and VIP pass checkers. A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been registered against all of them. To investigate the incident, it has been announced that an STF will be formed under the supervision of a Calcutta High Court judge. The accident site has been sealed, and police are scanning CCTV footage. Helpline numbers 18003455678 and 03322141310 have been issued.

As compensation, the state government will provide Rs. 25 lakh and a job to one family member of each deceased, while the injured will receive Rs. 5 lakh. From the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund, Rs. 2 lakh will be given to the deceased and Rs. 50,000 to the injured. Prime Minister Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Amit Shah, and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have expressed their condolences.

Government Failure: An Accident or Repeated Lapses?

The government is attributing the cause of this tragedy to rain and shortcomings on the part of the puja committee. However, deaths due to stampedes at crowded events have repeatedly occurred in our country. Every time, the same cycle is repeated: deaths, announcement of compensation, setting up an inquiry committee, and a few arrests. Then the matter cools down, and everything is forgotten until the next incident.

Certain questions demand answers:

Why was there no prior preparation? There are 58,000 pandals in the state. It is now being said that inspections are taking place there. Why weren't these inspections conducted before the accident?

Where were permission and monitoring? Whose responsibility were crowd capacity, exit routes, and arrangements in case of rain? Why didn't the administration check these?

Action against minor employees, questions on big figures? Most of those arrested are employees associated with the event. The puja committee president is a BJP MLA, and the North Kolkata BJP district president is also associated with the committee. In such a situation, trust in the impartiality of the investigation will only be established when equal accountability is fixed for all.

Is compensation the only solution? Money can reduce the pain of families, but it cannot bring back lives. The real lesson will be learned only when strict and permanent rules for crowd management are made and implemented.

Unless the government focuses on prevention before accidents rather than action after accidents, such tragedies will continue to recur.