What happened in Allahabad last Sunday was nothing new. It would, in fact, have been a surprise if such an incident would not have taken place on a day when 30 million people had gathered in a city with a population of 1.1 million, which itself is three times of what it was 50 years earlier. What is surprising is that the Central, state and civic authorities, on the basis of their past experiences, had not taken adequate steps to prevent such a tragedy. In fact, the state government had encouraged people to gather in larger numbers, and had announced that it had made every possible medical and police arrangements to ensure the safety of pilgrims. The long-term solution here lies in proper education, so that people in general cast off superstitious beliefs, like the one which makes them believe that a dip in holy waters on a particular day in 12 years could bring them salvation.
R C Mody, New Delhi
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