Media Invents A Phrase–Stampede Like Situation!

It was shocking that the usual suspects, who would scream ‘the nation wants to know’, chose to ignore the stampede fiasco. Details of the tragedy began to flood the social media thanks to the efforts of independent media, a couple of Hindi newspapers and YouTubers

The BJP government takes pride in championing the cause of freedom of expression by observing June 25 as Samvidhan Hatya Divas (Murder of the Constitution Day) to mark the declaration of the Emergency by Indira Gandhi as the blackest Day in India’s democratic history. Right from the President to the Prime Minister and the entire BJP clan and its social media machinery keep repeating an almost toolkit type messaging against the suspension of the Constitution, democratic rights and building of the opposition into jails across the country.

While the reasons for the declaration of the Emergency have always been debatable, the imposition of Press Censorship is not.

The BJP and all those opposed to the Congress are absolutely right in blasting Indira Gandhi for what she did during 1975-77. But when you check various developments under the BJP rule, you are compelled to ask the Double Engine Governments – what about your own freedom of expression record?

In these columns, we have been discussing the acts of omissions and commissions by the Modi government and pointing out that its Press freedom record is not clean.

Just analyse the way the Yogi Adityanath government and the administration handled the stampede during the Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj and you will ask, freedom, what freedom? Or was it a case of an undeclared emergency or the spineless media sucking up to the pressure of government advertising?

First of all, right from the beginning of the tragedy in the early hours of January 29 the official machinery maintained a stoic silence on the number of the people injured and dead. Even Yogi himself did not say a word on the figures but merely said there were reports of some people getting injured. Did the media which merely lapped up his statement ask him any questions on this? No! Were they told not to raise any questions? Or was it their collective failure?

Throughout the day, the mainstream media maintained a tool-kit type narrative that there was a stampede-like situation at Maha Kumbh. That was it. No details about the dead or injured. There was no sign of any helpline which is a basic requirement in any crisis involving the people. Remember, even during train or air crashes, the authorities do set up helpline desks and dedicated phone lines, at least immediately after the tragedy. This SOP was thrown to winds at the Maha Kumbh 2025.

The BJP social media machinery was also busy whitewashing the major crisis even after the Prime Minister expressed his grief over the tragedy. PM Modi too did not mention any numbers of the victims but merely said he expressed his grief for the dead.

What happens when you suppress facts? It fans rumour mills. That was the SOP Number 2 which was ignored. And Prayagraj was no exception. All kinds of figures of the dead began to fly in the air with even some Sadhus claiming that the police told them scores were dead. Yet there was not even a feeble attempt from the mainstream media to tell the truth. It was only after 18 to 19 hours of the “stampede like situation” that the nation was told that 30 people died. This led to the allegations that the administration terribly underplayed the figures.

The media was generally busy painting a rosy picture of the Maha Kumbh stating that the holy dips in Ganga were going on without any hitch. That could be right. But ignoring the human tragedy and communicating the huge concerns over the missing persons, treatment of the injured and the situation at mortuaries was not acceptable. In fact, it reflected a totally irresponsible behaviour by a large section of the media. There was no 9 PM debates either on the tragedy.

Worse still, no questions were asked when a top police officer, SSP Kumbh Mela Rajesh Dwivedi, flatly denied any stampede and said there was some overcrowding. And he wanted the media to believe that 30 people died in overcrowding! He was obliged.

It was shocking that the usual suspects, who would scream ‘the nation wants to know’, chose to ignore the stampede fiasco.

Details of the tragedy began to flood the social media thanks to the efforts of independent media, a couple of Hindi newspapers and YouTubers. Otherwise, one had to rely on the foreign media for facts. Journalists of my generation would recall how Rajiv Gandhi tuned into the BBC when he was informed of Indira Gandhi being shot on October 31, 1984 when he was touring West Bengal. The official announcement of her death came late in the evening though her body guards rained bullets all over her body.

Back to the Maha Kumbh 2025

One of the main reasons for the stampede was the shutting of some main roads to facilitate VIP movements and the pontoon bridges which led to, yes, overcrowding. A video showing a top police officer warning the people who were asleep in the night, ahead of the next morning’s holy bath, to be awake and finish their ritual early as the pressure of surging crowds could lead to a stampede. We have not seen any follow up bytes of this top cop. The police were very much alive to the crisis ahead, yet they did not take any precautions to navigate the swelling masses.

Then we had the shameful spectacle of a prominent pro-BJP Sant stating that the people who died in the stampede would attain salvation (moksh).

The administration later announced that all VVIP and VIP passes were cancelled and that the holy dips would continue smoothly. Yet, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar visited Maha Kumbh and happily ‘played’ in the less-than-waist-deep waters. As though this were not enough, Dhankar gave a media statement praising the unprecedented management of the Maha Kumbh and showered praise on Yogi Adityanath as the UP CM stood on his right side. Obviously, the arrangements - from receiving the VVIP at the airport till his puja-archana - would have to be flawless. All other pilgrims were kept away from the main bathing area and along his route.

Later, the major media got busy discussing some conspiracy theories behind the stampede, without even talking about the tragedy on January 29. And it was uniform across the media as though some tool-kit were issued to them from some unseen powers.

On Monday (February 3), we were told that the Amrit Snan was smooth as all pontoon bridges were kept open and Yogi monitored the situation right from 3 AM.

In a democracy, media is expected to play the role of the opposition, particularly when the opposition is weak. Media is supposed to lend voice to the opposition when the latter tries to speak.

During the Emergency, Lal Krishna Advani had said, the media crawled when asked to bend! In the current dispensation, nobody needs to ask the major media even to bend, and they crawl. We don’t have to wait for history to judge the media’s behaviour. It is crystal clear now itself.

(The columnist is a Mumbai-based author and independent media veteran, running websites and a YouTube channel known for his thought-provoking messaging.)