Superstition turned out deadly: hathras stampede claimed 121 lives

Several pictures of the Hathras incident are going viral on social media. How did the act of region and faith turn into the deadliest superstition? A stampede in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras took the lives of 121 people. This is not the first reported event, as stampedes at religious gatherings are being reported from a long time in India causing death and destruction but the in the death trolls in this case is what makes it so grave.

BACKSTORY

Suraj Pal A.k.a Narayaan Saarkaar Hari, followers call him Bhole Baba, is a self proclaimed speaker, known for his contentious satsangs and a past full of several legal disputes. He even was booked for sexual assault allegations and served a time in prison. After coming out on release, he recreated himself as ‘Saakar Vishwa Hari Baba. Despite having numerous cases filed against him in many in Agra, Etawah, Kasganj, Farrukhabad, and Rajasthan, he still continues to influence a significant following with his words and promises of spiritual enlightenment and blessings.

( Suraj Pal Aka Narayaan Saarkaar Hari /image source IBC24.in)

WHAT TRIGGERED THE STAMPEDE?

The tragic incident took place at  a ‘ satsang’ addressed by Speaker Narayaan Saarkaar Hari at hatrass.  It is being said that the crowd much more of what was to be expected turned up. leading to a rampage when Men, women and children fell over each other, getting crushed, just to collect the dust stirred up by the car of the speaker as a symbol of blessing.

27 bodies were brought to a hospital in Etah district 23 of which are said to be women According to the Senior Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar Singh. Unconscious and lifeless victims were brought to the Sikandra Rao Trauma Centre in trucks and ‘tempos’. The bodies lay scattered outside the health center

A First Information Report (FIR)  has been registered. According to the FIR, the organizer sought permission for 80,000 people, but the crowd of over 2.5 lakhs appeared at the satsang. There were 40 police staff on duty at that time to ensure the safety at the satsang but they couldn’t handle the situation and it went out of control.

 The FIR says that Narayaan sarkar’s assistants (sevdars) were carrying sticks and tried to stop the crowd from approaching the speaker and the rushing people fell on each other, suffocating the ones below.

( Post stampede situation in hathrass image source Navbharat times)

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah called up Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to look over the situation. The negligence of the organizers and inadequate police force contributed to the tragedy. The stampede took the lives of 121 people and more than 25 have been hospitalized.  Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated that the state police will get to the core of this incident. Still no arrests have been made in the case yet. 

The FIR has been registered against the event’s main organizer Devprakash Madhukar,  speaker’s assistants and other unidentified people and the accused has been arrested  under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita on culpable homicide and not for murder and wrongful restraintment.

An announcement from the Prime Minister’s Office has been made. On voluntary compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the victim’s family members killed in the stampede from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. The injured would be given Rs 50,000, The Uttar Pradesh CM also, made a similar announcement.