New Delhi railway station stampede toll climbs to 18: What went wrong?
ANALYSIS: It has been stated that a delay in the scheduled trains and an announcement of a special unreserved train for Kumbh Mela on yet another platform, No 16, led to cross-platform rush of the swelling crowds resulting in the unfortunate incident. But that is not the cause, it is simply a sequence, the last of a squence of events. The crass announcements and delays are commonplace and there are no stampedes. Ask a layman he will tell you overcrowding causes stampedes. As simple as that.
Blaming the crowd for not managing itself or asking it to manage itself is the most stupid thing being done everywhere in the country. This happens in a primitive administration, which India has cultivated for over 77 years, where people are dealt with like cattle at crowded places and as suspects at every other place. This frustrating situation begs the question, what is the funda of governance. Who has the answer!
As a stop-gap arrangement to prevent similar incidents at railway stations, let us not issue more tickets than a train's seating capacity and halt the platform ticket system (as done for a brief period following the tragedy).
NEW DELHI, Feb 17: The death toll in the stampede at the New Delhi railway
station in a chaotic surge of several thousands of Maha Kumbh pilgrims across
platforms following misleading announcemnets rescheduling several trains on
Saturday night has risen to 18. Nine of them were women, five children and four
men.
More than a dozen people continued to be under treatment at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash
(LNJP) and Lady Hardinge hospitals on Monday.
Meanwhile, Railway has stopped the sale of platform tickets at the station.
Platform tickets will not be available between 4 and 11 pm for next one week.
The stampede occurred at around 10 pm on platforms 13 and 14 where the pilgrims
were waiting to board trains to Prayagraj for the Kumbh. It was a sea of humanity
at the railway station, a woman pilgrim who survived the melee told reporters.
Officials said a large number of passengers had gathered on platform no. 14,
where the Prayagraj Express was stationed. Delay in the departure of Swatantrata
Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani led to further congestion at platforms
12, 13, and 14.
Eyewitnesses said the delay in the scheduled trains and announcement of a special
unreserved train on yet another platform, No 16, led to cross-platform rush
of the swelling crowds resulting in the unfortunate incident.
Those tripping over the fallen, and falling, were being crushed to death by
the rushing stream of passengers and others running helter skelter dashing for
the coaches in the melee.
The situation returned to normal soon and the pilgrims spilling over the platforms
were sent to their destination by special trains brought to the station quickly.
Victims' families accused the authorities of mismanagement, negligence and
lack of accountability.
The Railways has already disbursed Rs 10 lakh cash compensation for each of
the families of the victims.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said an inquiry has been ordered into the
incident.
Meanwhile, an official release said all special trains heading to Prayagraj
will now depart exclusively from Platform 16. Passengers are advised to use
the Ajmeri Gate side of the station. Regular train operations will continue
as per the existing platform allocations.
Maha Kumbh Mela is a Hindu religious gathering that is held once every 12 years
at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswathi rivers in Uttar
Pradesh.
The ongoing mela that began on January 13 with Paush Purnima will conclude
with Maha Shivaratri on February 26, one of the auspicious days for taking the
holy dip. The number of pilgrims taking a holy dip during the mela till last
day is expected to exceed 600 million.
Train accidents and stampedes involving religious festivals are frequent in
the country.
The CCTV footage and the video circulating on social media do not indicate any serious abnormalities in takeoff or descent, it has been confirmed. The disaster is becoming curiouser and curiouser. The flight path was not curvy. And the aircraft maintained a steady, gliding descent with its nose straight and the wings perfectly level. The pilot's distress call does not specify what prevented lift and climb-out. Here are some expert opinions. The sole purpose is to raise travellers' awareness about air travel.
Many of the victims were charred beyond recognition, making identification difficult. Three hundred nineteen body parts have been sent for DNA matching with relatives to determine the identities.
A comment on social media on Kanimozhi's answer on the question of national language read: "Daughter of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. Delivered the Birthday Present to her Father!!" (Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924)
(Today's headlines )
Trump said, "Elon is not really leaving" and will be "back and forth" to the White House because DOGE is his "baby." "I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.”
Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.
PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.
Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people.
(Today's headlines )
"Coming from a system like in England, empowering," she says she never had an idea of this sort of experience... being asked to “socialise with middle-aged men” who financed the event...humiliating...
Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.
Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.
As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.
"It's a big victory not just for Tamil Nadu but for all Indian States. DMK will continue to struggle for and win State autonomy and Federal polity," Chief Minister MK Stalin said.
Of 2.08 km in length, it features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres, facilitating smooth movement of ships while ensuring seamless train services to the holy town of Rameswaram on Pamban island.
ANALYSIS: There is a lot of hue and cry around the world over Trump's tariffs. But tariff, simply put, is a tax. But unlike tax, it affects the exporting country too. Domestic prices will go up for some time. Nothing more will happen, good or bad!
What motivated Trump's newfound policy, apart from being a stunt to justify his existence in the White House, is a false realisation that increased tariff will make foreign goods prohibitive, thereby boosting local production, and create more jobs, and more prosperity will ring in! If that is true, India would have been shining by now: Producing own Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail and Scotch Whiskies! And what about coconut and palm oil by America!
(Today's headlines )
PROGNOSIS: It looks a Real New Trump is emerging - courageous, balanced, powerful and disinterested. Determined to save his country from the cliff, he has done quite a few draconian things that will reduce the burden of debts of the Federal entity, like the golden handshake, stopping senseless funding, pulling out of a worthless WHO. Shutting the Education Department is another. On the other hand, running it is also not the Centre's job either (We will convincingly elaborate it in the next chapter).
In India the scene is just the opposite. Centralisation is the core agenda and identity of the ruling dispensation without which it has no existence, or in other words, it exists for that set of schemes only. A realisation of this never dawned upon any Opposition party in 2014 or any time thereafter, what to talk of being able to see it coming 70 years ago! The consequence of all this violation of basic natural law of the universe we cannot predict.
THE AMERICAN CONUNDRUM: Political venom has migrated to top echelons in the US. It was reported last year NASA has become politicised, vitiated. But NASA refuted the charge. How Boeing developed a glitch but its unmanned return was smooth. When Suni-Wilmore were stranded last June, why the return was set for February? Because that comes only after January 20! SpaceX called the shots, for itself and for Trump. Then the mission was manipulated for March for a better bargain! In between, what made Elon Musk 'predict' during campaign if Kamala Harris wins he would be in jail. In politics, it is said, "the only rule is there are no rules." Difficult times for Americans too.
The terminations are part of a large-scale exercise going on all across Fed departments and organisations to reduce wasteful Government expenditure as decided by a Trump in a mess gone berserk, and improve administrative efficiency following the whims of billionaire and his associate Elon MusK and his DOGE. It has not been shared how terminations are going to raise the efficiency bar! It looks like Trump has stolen some of the prescriptions meant for India. But the American problems are quite different.
Suddenly these colonial clerks feel this effortless, little rule will tremendously enhance security and convenience for the railway passengers manifold. More stations will be covered in the next 77 years! (Also See:
New Delhi station stampede... What went wrong?)
ANALYSIS: "The standard operating procedure for deportations by aircraft used by ICE that is effective from 2012 provides for the use of restraints," says the Government. That means, it is taken for granted the US will set the standard for deportations. For another, the Government is more interested in comparing with what happened in 2012 under a different Government to justify its own compliance! No surprise, others are trampling upon us. (How we conduct ourselves inside decides, inherently, how we are treated outside) Thirdly, the Government blamed the gangs doing the business of human trafficking for the illegal migration. For all the crimes taking place in the country, let us blame the criminals! Funny! We will never move an inch forward! The mindset defines what we are.
Meanwhile, a UN-returned Congress leader Shashi Tharoor sounded like a layman when he said, "If they are citizens of India we have an obligation to take them back." Who said 'No'?. He should know that is not the issue now. Who will identify an undocumented person, and how?
OPINION: A nutty 'new' Trump must know checking illegal immigration is his job and not theirs. And 'penalty' tariff is not a solution. However, Trump talking about "major threat" from "illegal aliens" (illegal immigration) is about what he believes, right or wrong, and to that extent he is genuine and honest; it is certainly not a pretension to prop up his political relevance. Bullies are always true to themselves. Look at India's crooked politicians shouting day in, day out to prove they are more patriotic, and to whip up public sentiments for them to ride on!
The function was held indoors from 12 pm (10:30 pm IST) at the rotunda of the US Capitol building because of unusually intense cold and snow. Delivering his inaugural address, Trump remarked, “The golden age of America begins right now," and just hours later signed a slew of executive orders to redeem the election pledges.
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