Opinion Express View on Bengaluru stampede: 11 too many

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced an inquiry into the stampede that claimed 11 lives and left more than 40 Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans injured Wednesday. If the probe has to fix accountability for the horrific incident in Bengaluru, it needs to take an unsparing look at the role of the state government, cricket association, the team management, and the board — all whose job it was to ensure that the city could celebrate safely and the champion cricketers were adequately shielded. It’s hard to be convinced by the logic of these authorities that they didn’t anticipate the crowd to swell to many times the 35,000-capacity of Chinnaswamy Stadium. For, no special intelligence was needed here.

The RCB fans had waited for 18 years to see their team on the winner’s podium. The emotive power of the victory was heightened by the fact that team superstar Virat Kohli is in the twilight of his career. As soon as the game ended, Bengaluru streets echoed with Ee Sala Cup Namde (this time the cup is ours). The political class rushed in to own the triumph, glint in its reflected glory. To this, add the early announcement by RCB on free passes that would never have been enough, police alerts going unnoticed, the on-off open-top bus parade cancelled at the last minute – the perfect storm for an accident. No wonder when the stampede happened, missing was someone in charge, someone to help, even as the felicitation ceremony, attended by the entire state government, including CM Siddaramaiah and his Deputy D K Shivakumar, seemed to be happening in another world altogether.

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The BCCI has been quick to sidestep its responsibility. Technically, it has a point – the state and local administration were responsible for the event. But since every IPL player, Indian or foreign, signs a contract with BCCI as one of the parties, along with the franchise, the board can’t distance itself from this tragedy. In a polarised discourse, the deaths acquire a political colour: Stampede under BJP vs stampede under Congress. Let social media warriors fight that out. What needs to be underlined is that the many triumphs of Indian cricket have many claimants: players; those who bid for them; those who crowd the dug-out; sport bodies; the political class and, of course, Mr Mallya, the fugitive, too. But who is responsible and accountable for the welfare of the fan, ecstatic one time, crushed at another, always vulnerable? From the 14-year-old schoolgirl to the 19-year-old college student, the 26-year-old engineer to the accountant who took a day off with her husband to mark the victory – the 11 lives lost are 11 too many. The world’s richest cricket tournament can’t cut corners when it comes to fans’ safety. A fitting tribute to those dead, therefore, is not mere signing a cheque but holding those in charge responsible. Ensuring that heads roll, and those who dropped the ball Wednesday are made to pay.