The stampede at the Maha Kumbh on Mauni Amavasya (January 29, 2025) was not an accident. It was an avoidable disaster—a man-made tragedy brought on by a toxic mix of government propaganda, media sensationalism, and administrative incompetence. Despite elaborate claims of “flawless arrangements,” the reality was starkly different: devotees were lured into an overcrowded, mismanaged religious spectacle where their safety was never truly a priority.

Stampede is nothing short of man-made disaster

For weeks leading up to Mauni Amavasya, news channels relentlessly hyped up the importance of the ‘Amrit Snan’, inviting government-sponsored pandits and self-styled saints to declare that missing this holy dip would mean eternal sin. The narrative was clear: if you don’t take the plunge this time, you are doomed. This fear-mongering, dressed as religious fervor, drove lakhs of gullible devotees to the Kumbh grounds, believing that skipping the bath could seal their fate in the afterlife.

Ironically, the same news channels that amplified the spiritual hysteria went into damage control mode once the stampede unfolded. Most reported 30 deaths, despite eyewitness accounts suggesting much higher casualties. Instead of demanding accountability, they conveniently parroted the administration’s version. The big question is—why did no media house dare to challenge the official death toll? Under what pressure did they dilute the truth?

Yogi`s chakravyuh had only entry with no exit

Maha Kumbh 2025 was not just a religious event; it was a state-sponsored extravaganza—a global branding exercise for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his PR machinery. The CM’s dream was to turn this Kumbh into the biggest religious congregation in history. To achieve this, his handpicked bureaucrats and IPS officers, along with favored media houses, celebrity journalists, and influencers, were deployed to create an unstoppable wave of content urging people to attend.

From high-budget ad campaigns to paid influencer reels, the blitzkrieg of promotions ensured that crores of devotees turned up at Prayagraj, without the government ensuring sufficient arrangements to manage them. The administration wanted record-breaking numbers but had no clear plan on how to handle the chaos that would inevitably follow. This was CM Yogi’s chakravyuh—he succeeded in pulling devotees in, but had no idea how to get them out safely.

If there was any doubt about the double standards of our administration, the Maha Kumbh stampede erased it. Even as common devotees struggled for space, the VIPs—Union Ministers, state bureaucrats, celebrity anchors, influencers, and judges—enjoyed exclusive access to secure areas.

The police force, instead of managing the massive crowd, was busy escorting VIPs and ensuring their ‘hassle-free’ spiritual experience. This skewed priority meant that thousands of ordinary devotees were left to fend for themselves when panic broke out.

The sinful silence of Saints on tragedy

One of the most disgraceful aspects of this tragedy was the behavior of the so-called dharm gurus. These religious heads, who command vast resources and receive enormous donations from the public, chose to look away when tragedy struck. Not a single Akhara opened its gates to shelter panicked devotees. The irony is sickening—these saints preach about renunciation and compassion but live in lavish tents worth crores, secured by private guards.

Their biggest worry that day was not the death toll but the delay in their Shahi Snan. This tragedy has unmasked the hypocrisy of many religious leaders who, despite claiming to serve humanity, are more invested in their own status and comfort.

Every disaster has a root cause, but in India, the real culprits rarely face consequences.

The Maha Kumbh stampede raises urgent questions:

• Who ordered the aggressive media campaign that led to this overcrowding?
• Why were the ground-level arrangements so inadequate despite the ₹4,200 crore budget for Maha Kumbh
• Who decided to underreport the death toll?
• Why did journalists fail to expose the failures of the administration?

In a functional democracy, these questions would have led to resignations and inquiries. But in today’s India, where the media is largely an extension of the ruling party’s PR machinery, the tragedy will be buried under controlled narratives and a manufactured sense of divine inevitability.

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