Crowd control is once again our Cover Story in our July 2025 edition of SECURITY TODAY —and not for the first time. At SECURITY TODAY, we have long advocated for greater awareness, accountability, and preparedness around managing large gatherings. Sadly, the urgency of this issue continues to grow. As lives are repeatedly lost due to poor planning and lack of enforcement, we are compelled to return to this subject—not to reiterate the obvious, but to reinforce the need for a national policy framework that mandates crowd management protocols, with strict compliance enforced by authorities across India. It is high time that India leads by example in this critical area of public safety.
This is not just a domestic concern. Loss of life and property due to overcrowding is a global problem—even in developed nations. In our July 2021 edition, we highlighted the tragedy at Mount Meron in Israel, where 45 people were crushed to death at a religious festival. Ironically, in the same year, India saw nearly 9 million devotees attend the Haridwar Kumbh Mela, and despite the shadow of a raging pandemic, the event concluded without any stampede-related fatalities—a testament to what is possible when proper planning is in place.
In June 2024, we had carried an article titled “Clinging to Faith, Crushed by Superstition: Crowd Control Laxity Exposed Yet Again!” following the horrific Hathras stampede that claimed 121 lives. The headline was strong, because the failure was staggering.
Yet, despite these warnings and documented lessons, 2025 has already seen devastating failures. The Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, with an estimated 400 million attendees, recorded multiple deaths due to crowd surges. Then came the June 4 tragedy in Bengaluru, where 11 lives were lost and over 50 injured as unmanageable crowds gathered outside Chinnaswamy Stadium to celebrate RCB’s IPL victory—an event that went ahead without police clearance and zero lead time for planning.
As I was finalising this editorial, two more heartbreaking incidents came in: on July 28, eight people died and over 30 were injured in a stampede at Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar; within 24 hours, two more deaths and 30 injuries were reported at a religious gathering at the Avsaaneshwar Mahadev Temple in Barabanki.
This isn’t just news—it’s a call for reform. How many more must die before India moves from mourning to meaningful action?
Crowds are not inherently dangerous—it is our failure to anticipate, plan, and respond that turns celebration into catastrophe. India’s gatherings are invariably expressions of faith, culture, and unity, but they demand a professional, coordinated, and technology-enabled approach to safety. We must institutionalise crowd risk assessments, enforce accountability, and build capacity within our law enforcement and civic agencies. Equally important is cultivating public awareness about individual responsibility in crowded settings. A culture of safety must be seeded—across governments, organisers, and citizens—before we can truly protect the spirit of our collective gatherings.
We hope this issue has not only informed our readers but also provokes. Event safety should never be left to chance.
The author is GB Singh, Editor- SECURITY TODAY.
