The organisation of the event will go down in ignominy; the widespread sense is that casualties are way higher and the state govt is suppressing information
Down the ages, devotees’ gatherings in their millions on river banks to pray says something about their spirituality and faith – as we again saw in Prayagraj in recent weeks. However, the less said, the better about the agencies of government – and others – who were there to play politics and to mismanage the famous Kumbh Mela, with disastrous consequences, causing the people pain and much suffering.
In order to bring in ever larger numbers of pilgrims at the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna (and the long-disappeared Saraswati) in Prayagraj – known to Hindus as the Sangam – in their effort to chalk up a political score, the ruling party, and the outfits of so-called ‘akharas’ or organised bodies of holy men – the ‘sadhus’ – who benefit from the system- falsely billed the event as the ‘Maha Kumbh’.
Also read: Kumbh stampede: A deadly cocktail of ‘VIP culture’ and mismanagement
Billed as ‘Maha Kumbh’
According to charlatan reasoning not known to the Hindu tradition, the normal Kumbh Mela was talked up as the ‘Maha Kumbh’ (the Great Kumbh), depicted as a rare celestial configuration that showers heaven’s blessings in extraordinary measure and comes around but once in 144 years.
The previous Kumbh Mela, held 12 years ago, had also been projected as the Maha Kumbh, suggesting how extraordinarily tight has been the hold on the various ‘akhara’ sects and religious orders of the political forces that constitute today’s establishment.
Some constitutive parts of the ruling establishment have been active at the social and religio-cultural levels for several decades, and together prey in organised fashion upon the gullibility and innocence of a largely poor society in which superstition, empty religiosity, and irrationality are spread wide even among the well-to-do often masquerading as components of their faith.
The elements that comprise the saffron-clad holy orders, and enjoy a position of power, influence and the greatest privilege at the Kumbh (and also at the famous pilgrim centre of Ayodhya) have been a subject of scrutiny by historians. In the present era, the direction of their affinity to Hindutva-related entities is made plain through this scholarly attention.
‘Akhand Hindu Rashtra’
Thus we saw the 501-page long “constitution” of a proposed “Akhand Hindu Rashtra”, prepared by a 25-member committee of so-called scholars, being wheeled out before the media. Predictably, the document promises citizenship only to Hindus and for the Dharm Sansad or parliament to be filled only by followers of the Sanatan Dharm, the traditional Hindu society to which the iniquitous caste hierarchy is integral.
Such notions have swirled for long under the aegis of a particular brand of political thought that today seeks everlasting dominance in the name of Hindu civilization and culture.
While freedom of expression within obvious limits is a crucial feature of India’s democratic Constitution, the state and society in India need to ponder if activities such as the promulgation of religion-based, fascist-oriented superiority for some ideas, by organised entities, is not tantamount to a secession from the democratic order on which India’s post-colonial republic is built.
Warning to dissidents
Questions arise. How would the state and society have reacted if objectionable ideas of the above type were projected by organised groups of minority faiths and communities? That is a question made more pressing by the example before us of Bhima-Koregaon prisoners, charged (falsely) with being Maoists who conspired to assassinate the prime minister.
Not an ounce of evidence has been adduced since 2018 to support the government’s charge, and the trial has not begun. Only some have been released on bail. This lends credence to the view that the prisoners, whose ‘crime’ was to do pro-poor work (and indirectly question the government’s assumptions and working models), were set up to be made examples of as a warning to dissidents and regime opponents.
The prominent individuals, some of whom are well-known intellectuals, professionals, and social workers, have languished in prison in trying conditions. One of them, Father Stan Swamy, a Christian priest and a famous worker for tribal uplift and tribal rights in Jharkhand, died in captivity, succumbing to old age and rapidly failing health after being denied bail.
Also read: Delhi stampede: What led to the tragedy? Witnesses, railways offer differing versions
Extended Maha Kumbh
The Kumbh or Maha Kumbh officially ends on February 26. The centuries-old tradition is that the Kumbh, held once in 12 years at Prayagraj, commences on Paush Purnima (usually a day before Makar Sankranti when the sun crosses over into the Tropic of Capricorn) in mid-January, and ends on Magh Purnima (usually mid-February). The ochre-wearing ‘sadhus’ and the ‘akaharas’ made up of sadhu sects depart Prayagraj on this day. They did the same this year.
But in recent times the Kumbh has been pushed by another 15 days to Mahashivratri. This is an innovation, probably prodded by an extended opportunity for trade at the very large gathering.
In the past, after Magh Purnima, devotees usually went off to the holy city of Varanasi, some 100 km away, for the Mahashivratri dip in the Ganga, at the end of the period of “kalp-vaas” (body’s abode) at Prayagraj in the Kumbh period. A dip in the Sangam waters, they say, washes away sins, paving the path for ‘moksha’ or salvation.
Ignominious spectacle
Under the supervision of the Modi government at the Centre and the Yogi government in UP, the organisation of ‘Maha Kumbh’ 2025 will go down in “ignominy”. The event witnessed several stampedes resulting in the death of many. Pilgrims headed to Prayagraj for the ‘Maha Kumbh’ also died in a stampede at the New Delhi railway station. Five or six fires broke out in the ‘Maha Kumbh’ campsites. The government did not share details of these though it had in place 2,700 AI-enabled cameras.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who himself wears saffron robes and is the head of a religious order, announced in the state Assembly that 37 people had lost their life at the ‘Maha Kumbh’. He offered no basis for the data. The widespread sense is that the casualties are way higher and that the state government is suppressing information.
CPCB steps in
Scientific analysis by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) also highlighted the unacceptable range of faecal matter in the Sangam waters, rendering it unfit for a bath, leave alone drinking. But the CM sought to rebut this in the Assembly, again on a whimsical basis.
This throws up a political question of possible feud in the ruling party: Is the Centre trying to put the UP CM down on account of the much-speculated rivalry between him and PM Modi, with the national CPCB releasing an analysis that does not sit well with Yogi Adityanath? In recent months, Yogi has moved closer to the RSS, the BJP’s ideological fountainhead, at a time when there is perceived dissonance between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Need for a judicial probe
A neutral high-level judicial probe can perhaps guide us to the facts. However, if there is a political tussle between the state and the Centre, is an honest probe conceivable? But, will anything less do? Perhaps citizens’ committees in search of answers can initiate some work in this direction.
Two camps trying to take credit
On the surface, there appear to be wheels within wheels. The BJP as a party is looking like desperately seeking to take credit and political mileage for the ‘Maha Kumbh,’ but within the BJP, two stalwarts look to be jostling for coveted space. In Indian journalism’s post-truth age coinciding with the Modi era, it is still worth looking for the truth.
This raises the question of number of devotees who visited the Sangam in the sacred period. The CM claimed in the Assembly last week that 56 crore people had been to the ‘Maha Kumbh’. At the rate the figures are climbing - or made to climb - there should be no surprise if the final numbers rest at 60 crore.
That would mean more than half the Hindus in the country, whose estimated population is said to be 110 crore. From where are visitors’ figures derived? We simply do not know. The UP government has offered no clues. On the other hand, what we do know is that the Union government was preparing for 40 crore visitors.
Also read: Yogi trashes CPCB report of faecal bacteria in Sangam water as ‘propaganda’
UP state event
This is evident from a post of the Press Information Bureau, Government of India, dated December 19, 2024 – a fortnight before the Kumbh Mela, i.e. the ‘Maha Kumbh’, commenced. The post is on behalf of the Union Ministry of Culture.
The document imparts some useful information after paying obeisance to the leader, which is now the norm: “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Uttar Pradesh government is making extensive preparations to ensure that Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj is a grand, safe, spiritually enriching event.”
The release, thus, makes it clear that it is the UP government that is making the preparations but the leadership is that of PM Modi, as though this has to be a constant – an immutable given. But has the CM signed up on this? After all, the Kumbh has always been a UP state event. Constitutionally speaking, the state governments are not subordinated to the Union in their own domain.
The Nehru-era example
(In 1954, during the first Kumbh after Independence, hundreds of people were reported to have died by the media. Unlike now, such things could be freely discussed. Then President Dr Rajendra Prasad referred to the issue in his address to the joint session of Parliament. Then PM Jawaharlal Nehru called the matter a “national tragedy”. He said that as a “state matter,” it couldn’t ordinarily be discussed in Parliament, but he offered that his government would place the facts on the table and then hold a discussion. What a far cry from today. The regime has blocked a discussion in Parliament. (Even the Chinese incursion in eastern Ladakh was taken out of bounds for deliberation by Parliament.) But one thing is clear from then PM Nehru’s reply. The Kumbh is a “state matter”.)
RSS in action
In ‘Mahakumbh’ 2025, the PM arrogates to himself “the leadership” role and urges the Indian diaspora to visit “during this time”. The PIB press release says, “First the NRI Day, then the Maha Kumbh and after that the Republic Day, this is a kind of Triveni (the Sangam), a great opportunity to connect with the development and heritage of India.”
Then are iterated some details: “Provision for advanced surveillance; AI-powered crowd density monitor; a Rs 130 crore allocation for fire safety; 2,700 cameras with AI capability, and 50,000 police force, including paramilitary personnel, besides special provision for international visitors.”
And we see the RSS too in action, in addition to the police and the paramilitary. Why? Were they asked by either the Centre or the state government? If so, then why? Is there a shortage of uniformed forces in the country for law and order, crowd control, or emergency duties? If there was a shortage, is an outfit like the RSS, known for morning drills with the ‘lathi’, even capable of rendering assistance? In the end, these are constitutional questions. If the RSS can jump in, so can others- and there might be a free-for-all. Really, what is going on?
And how do we know about the RSS presence at the ‘Maha Kumbh’? The web desk of the Organiser, widely regarded as the RSS mouthpiece, dated January 30, 2025, says in an eyeball-grabbing headline: “We are fully alert” - RSS deploys 16,000 karyakartas for traffic, assistance and relief at Prayagraj Maha Kumbh.
Time to clear the air
We further learn that “karyakartas are also engaged in sanitation, healthcare, food distribution, and accommodation for stranded pilgrims.” Then follows some pontification: “The organisation considers the Maha Kumbh to be a national event and emphasises collective responsibility in making it a success.”
Also read: Prayagraj turns into no-vehicle zone for Maha Kumbh Mahashivratri
There is a reference to an “unfortunate stampede” but the self-appointed guardians of Hindu interest are silent on those who died in the multiple stampedes. This looks like a template for the Department of Truth. In Parliament, President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint session of Parliament had also skipped mentioning deaths.
What role did RSS do?
The contribution of 16,000 volunteers by the RSS is like going in with a whole division in Army language. But what did they do when it came to the crunch? Probably took to their heels. What did the 50,000 police force do? Probably stood as silent witnesses as tragedy struck and man-made disasters abounded.
A comprehensive inquiry, delineating areas that marked the work sphere of the Centre, the state, the police and of course the RSS, is indeed needed to clear the air, and to assure the country that we are still being run constitutionally and not being hijacked by malignant irregular elements who threaten a different Constitution from the one we gave ourselves after a fight for independence against a foreign power.
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