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Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Stampede deaths put spotlight on cop ‘failure' in crowd control measures
1 2 3 Bhubaneswar: Death of three devotees in a stampede near the chariots at Gundicha Temple in Puri early on Sunday has raised questions about the effectiveness of police's crowd control measures, despite deployment of advanced AI cameras and substantial manpower. On Friday, the chariot of Lord Jagannath could not be pulled till evening due to the influx of thousands of devotees following a reported breach of security cordon. Although the chariot pulling ceremony proceeded smoothly with the participation over 12 lakh devotees on Friday and Saturday, alleged mismanagement of a smaller gathering of around 20,000 people near the Gundicha Temple led to the stampede early Sunday morning. Local devotees claimed the deployment of police was very thin during the incident. Police had earlier announced the deployment of 275 AI-enabled cameras and drones for real-time crowd monitoring, security and traffic management during the nine-day Rath Yatra festival that commenced on Friday. While at least two IPS officers were assigned to oversee crowd management, 5 companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF), 6 SP-rank officers, 7 ASPs, 24 DSPs, 42 inspectors, 189 sub-inspectors/assistant SIs, 12 havildars, 110 home guards and 52 platoons of state police were deployed specifically to handle crowds. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 20대 치아교정 치과 추천 | 30대 치아교정 치과 추천 | 10대 치아교정 치과 추천 화이트드림치과 인천점 더 알아보기 Undo The confined and congested space at Saradha Bali in front of Gundicha Temple was a major factor behind the incident, official sources said. "Unlike the spacious chariot parking area near Jagannath Temple, the location in front of Gundicha Temple can accommodate a maximum of 5,000 or 6,000 devotees. Stampedes can occur when chariots are moving. However, tragedy struck before stationary chariots near Gundicha Temple, a first in the history," said Binayak Dasmohapatra, a senior servitor of Jagannath Temple. Security experts and devotees criticised the police for failing to anticipate the massive weekend crowd and lowering their guard after the chariot-pulling ceremony on Friday and Saturday. "Police should have anticipated the Sunday rush and made appropriate arrangements. The restricted space combined with inadequate crowd management created a perfect storm for disaster," said Sahadeb Mohanty, a retired police DSP. "I suspect the personnel lowered their guard after the successful chariot pulling on Friday and Saturday, and did not take any pre-emptive measure for the remaining days of the festival," he said. "Govt has already taken prompt action against negligence. Senior police officers are on the spot to ensure comprehensive security and crowd control measures," law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said. Previous crowd mismanagement had led to tragedies during Rath Yatra in 2008 (six deaths), 2010 (one death), 2011 (one death), 2015 (two deaths), and 2024 (one death). Bhubaneswar: Death of three devotees in a stampede near the chariots at Gundicha Temple in Puri early on Sunday has raised questions about the effectiveness of police's crowd control measures, despite deployment of advanced AI cameras and substantial manpower. On Friday, the chariot of Lord Jagannath could not be pulled till evening due to the influx of thousands of devotees following a reported breach of security cordon. Although the chariot pulling ceremony proceeded smoothly with the participation over 12 lakh devotees on Friday and Saturday, alleged mismanagement of a smaller gathering of around 20,000 people near the Gundicha Temple led to the stampede early Sunday morning. Local devotees claimed the deployment of police was very thin during the incident. Police had earlier announced the deployment of 275 AI-enabled cameras and drones for real-time crowd monitoring, security and traffic management during the nine-day Rath Yatra festival that commenced on Friday. While at least two IPS officers were assigned to oversee crowd management, 5 companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF), 6 SP-rank officers, 7 ASPs, 24 DSPs, 42 inspectors, 189 sub-inspectors/assistant SIs, 12 havildars, 110 home guards and 52 platoons of state police were deployed specifically to handle crowds. The confined and congested space at Saradha Bali in front of Gundicha Temple was a major factor behind the incident, official sources said. "Unlike the spacious chariot parking area near Jagannath Temple, the location in front of Gundicha Temple can accommodate a maximum of 5,000 or 6,000 devotees. Stampedes can occur when chariots are moving. However, tragedy struck before stationary chariots near Gundicha Temple, a first in the history," said Binayak Dasmohapatra, a senior servitor of Jagannath Temple. Security experts and devotees criticised the police for failing to anticipate the massive weekend crowd and lowering their guard after the chariot-pulling ceremony on Friday and Saturday. "Police should have anticipated the Sunday rush and made appropriate arrangements. The restricted space combined with inadequate crowd management created a perfect storm for disaster," said Sahadeb Mohanty, a retired police DSP. "I suspect the personnel lowered their guard after the successful chariot pulling on Friday and Saturday, and did not take any pre-emptive measure for the remaining days of the festival," he said. "Govt has already taken prompt action against negligence. Senior police officers are on the spot to ensure comprehensive security and crowd control measures," law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said. Previous crowd mismanagement had led to tragedies during Rath Yatra in 2008 (six deaths), 2010 (one death), 2011 (one death), 2015 (two deaths), and 2024 (one death).
Time of India
17-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Digha temple naming row puts Jagannath servitor conduct back in spotlight
Controversy throws light on servitors' conduct yet again BHUBANSESWAR: The recent suspension of Jagannath Temple's Daitapati servitor Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra in connection with the controversy surrounding Digha shrine's naming has once again highlighted the challenges faced by Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in maintaining order and discipline among its servitors. The controversy represents just one instance in a series of incidents that have raised questions about servitors' conduct at this 12th century shrine. At the heart of Jagannath Temple's daily operations are about 2,200 servitors who maintain centuries-old traditions through their hereditary services. While some of them have services to offer daily, there are others who perform their sacred duty on some specific days in a year. Every day, nearly 80 servitors are required to perform around 20 rituals in the shrine and their remuneration ranges from Rs 500 to Rs 2,500 per day, depending on their specific duties on certain days and the frequency of their service. Despite their crucial role in preserving ancient traditions, the temple has faced recurring issues with servitors' conduct. Senior servitor Binayak Dasmohapatra, while acknowledging this reality, said, 'Not all sevayats are unruly. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Ativar Agora] - Licença de antivírus para PC Clique aqui Undo Misconduct of a few of our colleagues has often tarnished the reputation of the entire community. Their conduct has improved over the years.' Day before Ramakrushna's media statement on Digha temple idols triggered outrage, SJTA on April 4 and 5 had organized a two-day training session for servitors focussing on maintaining discipline, appropriate behaviour, proper interaction with devotees, importance of timely ritual performance and preservation of temple dignity. Historical efforts to improve servitor conduct date back to 2006 when the shrine administration attempted to curtail behaviours such as the use of vulgar language and consumption of betel or gutka. 'Comprehensive guidelines outlining servitors' roles, responsibilities, conduct and obligations will be issued soon,' law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said. SJTA's chief administrator Arabinda Padhee has taken a firm stance, declaring that no kind of indiscipline and misconduct will be tolerated.
