Crowd Chaos and Cover-Ups: How Systemic Failures Lead to Stampede Tragedies

When blame shifts to victims and myths replace facts, find out what’s behind India’s recurring stampede tragedies.

When victim blaming masks systemic failure: Janab, Aise Kaise?

(Photo: The Quint/Zijah Sherwani)

Recent tragedies at the Prayagraj Kumbh and New Delhi Railway Station have exposed a recurring crisis in India's crowd management systems. On the night of February 15, 2025, a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station claimed 18 lives, while the Prayagraj Kumbh incident resulted in 30 fatalities. Rather than addressing systemic flaws, many responses have shifted blame onto the victims themselves—a classic case of victim blaming.

In the wake of the Delhi incident, social media buzzed with claims that overpopulation was to blame, suggesting that India’s enormous crowd simply overwhelmed any government’s capacity to manage it. But this narrative sidesteps a critical question: what is the government’s role in ensuring public safety? Labeling the victims, who had gathered for a religious event, as responsible only deepens the injustice.

Further complicating matters, authorities have been quick to dismiss these events as “stampede-like situations” rather than acknowledging the failures in planning and execution. Officials initially denied the occurrence of a stampede at both sites— downplaying injuries and editing public statements to remove mentions of deaths. Meanwhile, allegations of police harassment and cover-ups have added to the growing mistrust among the public.

In 2022-23, approximately 1,42,897 passenger trains experienced delays. Between 2019-20 and 2023-24, Indian Railways canceled around 1,16,060 mail and express trains—averaging three cancellations every hour. Over the past decade (2014-2024), nearly 1,100 railway-related deaths have been recorded under the current government.

As the authorities deflect accountability by propagating myths like the “144-year” narrative of Kumbh Mela and labeling dissenters as anti-national, one must ask: for how long will these real questions be buried under blame and propaganda? Janab, aise kaise?