As an ardent pilgrim who has been visiting the Sabarimala shrine for 25 years, I can say that a stampede of the sort that occurred on January 14 — claiming 102 lives — can take place at any point of time anywhere on the hill. The main reason is that the authorities cannot judge the crowd pouring in on a particular day. Moreover, Pulmedu — where the tragedy struck — is a forest route which very few know of and which has very poor infrastructure.
The Devaswom Board, with the help of local Ayyappa Seva Sangams, can introduce a registration procedure for the pilgrims. The group leader or “Guruswamy” can take the responsibility of registering his team. The date on which the group will reach the shrine and through what route can thus be tracked. Through better planning and organisation, stampedes can be prevented in future.
K.L. Gangadharan,Chennai
Each Sabarimala pilgrimage season brings crores of rupees to the Kerala government. The least a pilgrim would expect are basic amenities and safety arrangements. That only four policemen were present at Pulmedu where the stampede occurred is unbelievable.
Shambhu Soman,Kollam
That there is a phenomenal growth in the number of devotees visiting Sabarimala during the Makarajyothi every year is well known. The Kerala government has the foremost responsibility of anticipating the numbers and making arrangements to meet any eventuality. No doubt, the hill terrain is difficult for crowd management. But precautionary measures would have surely prevented the major accident on Friday.
On their part, devotees should be patient in mass assembling centres. It appears that immediately after the darshan of the celestial light at Ponnabalamedu, thousands of devotees hurried down the hill and passed through the congested pathway. The haste with which they moved might have caused the tragedy, with the geographical constraints adding to it.
Sasidharan Uppath,Palakkad
Governments do not seem adequately prepared to deal with the consequences of massive crowding. Clearly, a good deal of mismanagement must have been involved in the latest tragedy at Sabarimala. Given the sheer number of devotees every year, the Kerala government should have illuminated the forest path through the Idukki district which is usually taken by pilgrims returning from the shrine.
K.S. Jayatheertha,Bangalore
This is not the first time that a stampede has taken place in Sabarimala. Similar tragedies have taken place in the past, including in 1999. Unfortunately, we are none the wiser. The authorities seem to have reached a dead end in finding a lasting solution.
I attribute the failure to the acts of omission on the part of the government. Caution is thrown to the winds and accidents continue unabated. While it is true there is no armour against fate, disasters can be avoided if prevention is made a top priority.
K.G. Koru Kuttan Nair,Malaysia
Media reports clearly show that we have not learnt any lessons from the past. It was not merely the dense forest or the lack of illumination that led to the tragedy, though it might have played a part. The basic reason is the reluctance on the part of the police to tackle the huge task in all earnestness. The fact that four constables were posted to look after thousands of devotees on their return journey is an indication of the casual attitude of those in charge of security. Had there been a Minister among the pilgrims, hundreds of policemen would have been in attendance to ensure his safety.
I say this on the basis of my own experience with the police in Andhra Pradesh. I retired as a Depot Manager in APSRTC after 33 years of service. Wherever a big jathra operation was conducted, we had to beg the police to post adequate police but very few personnel were allotted for the task. The police are unwilling to work on queue. They prefer to get posted near the temple entry point or near the commercial stalls erected for the jathra . Those tasked with managing the crowd are reluctant. It is not hi-fi technology or huge manpower that is needed to avoid such tragedies. The will to work and application will do.
B.M. Sastry,Hyderabad
A reader suggests that the pilgrimage season to Sabarimala be extended beyond the existing two months (Letters, Jan. 17). In fact, keeping the temple open for as many as 10 months will help mitigate the rush during the ‘Mandalam' and ‘Maharam.' It can remain closed for two months a year — a month after every five months. The temple can also remain closed for a few days after the 'Mandalam' darshan. This will give the devotees more options to plan their annual pilgrimage. The most orthodox may object to this but for practical reasons, some flexibility is certainly called for.
I.S. Kanthimathinathan,Tirunelveli
