- Dr Nishant A.Irudayadason
Professor of Philosophy and Ethics,
Jnana-Deepa Institute of
Philosophy & Theology, Pune.
The recent stampede in Bengaluru and the Air India crash in Ahmedabad have cast a sombre shadow over India, exposing critical lapses in safety planning and crowd management. On 4 June 2025, a celebration for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium turned deadly, claiming 11 lives and injuring over 50 people when an estimated 300,000 fans overwhelmed a venue designed for 35,000. Just days later, on 12 June, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers, crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. While the full extent of casualties remains unclear, the incident has sparked urgent questions about aviation safety protocols. Both tragedies, though distinct in nature, highlight a common thread: the urgent need for robust safety measures to protect lives during large-scale events and routine operations alike. These incidents serve as a stark reminder that public safety cannot be an afterthought, and both state and union governments must prioritise proactive planning to prevent such losses.
In Bengaluru, the stampede was a catastrophe born of poor foresight. A senior police officer, Deputy Commissioner MN Karibasavana Gowda, had warned the Karnataka government of potential overcrowding and inadequate security at Vidhana Soudha, a sensitive government zone, hours before the event. His concerns, detailed in a letter to top bureaucrats, were ignored, and permissions were granted despite known risks. The Karnataka High Court, taking suo motu cognisance, sharply criticised the state for procedural lapses, demanding answers on crowd management and emergency preparedness.
The Ahmedabad air crash, meanwhile, underscores the complexities of ensuring safety in aviation, a sector where precision is non-negotiable. The Air India flight, bound for London, went down between 1 and 2 pm, prompting immediate rescue operations and high-level responses from Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu. While investigations into the crash’s cause are ongoing, involving flight records and black box analysis, the incident highlights the need for rigorous maintenance checks, pilot training, and air traffic control coordination. Unlike the Bengaluru stampede, which stemmed from administrative oversight, the Ahmedabad crash may involve technical or systemic failures that fall under the purview of both airline operators and central regulatory bodies like the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
Both incidents reveal a broader issue: the gap between reactive measures and proactive prevention. In Bengaluru, the state government’s response—suspending police officials and ordering a judicial inquiry led by retired judge John Michael Cunha—appears more defensive than constructive. The Karnataka High Court’s nine pointed questions about authorisation and crowd control planning reflect a systemic failure to prioritise safety over political optics. Similarly, in Ahmedabad, while emergency response teams acted swiftly, the crash underscores the need for pre-emptive safety audits and stricter compliance with international aviation standards. The National Disaster Management Authority’s guidelines, which call for pre-event planning, access control, and real-time surveillance, could have mitigated the Bengaluru stampede. Likewise, advanced technologies, such as the AI-based crowd monitoring systems planned for Ahmedabad’s upcoming Rath Yatra, demonstrate how innovation can enhance safety. Governments at both levels must invest in such tools and ensure their consistent application, rather than relying on post-incident inquiries to address preventable failures.
Accountability remains the cornerstone of public safety. In Bengaluru, political leaders have traded blame, with the opposition BJP demanding resignations and the Congress-led state government deflecting responsibility onto event organisers and police. This finger-pointing obscures the need for shared responsibility across departments and levels of government. The union government, while not directly involved in the stampede, sets national safety standards and must ensure states have the resources and training to implement them. In the Ahmedabad crash, the union government’s role is more direct, as aviation is a centrally regulated sector. Ensuring accountability means not only identifying lapses but also enforcing consequences and implementing reforms. The public deserves clear answers: why were warnings ignored in Bengaluru, and what systemic checks failed in Ahmedabad? Both tragedies demand a unified commitment to safety, with state and union governments working together to enforce regulations, train personnel, and educate the public on safety protocols. Only through such collaboration can India prevent celebrations and routine journeys from turning into tragedies.
