On January 29, a stampede occurred at the Maha Kumbh mela in Prayagraj, leaving at least 30 people dead and scores injured.
A devastating stampede had occurred at Kumbh Mela in 1954, which was the first Kumbh after India gained Independence. This massive Kumbh Mela, held in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) from January 14 to March 3, 1954, had attracted over 4 million pilgrims, including prominent political figures. It was marked by a stampede tragedy on February 3 that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of devotees. The official death toll was 350-400 but estimates peg the number to closer to 800.
The 1954 Kumbh stampede was taken up in Parliament with Gandhian and freedom fighter J B Kriplani, former Congress president, on February 17 that year raising it on the floor of the House, where he questioned the “blind rituals” and slammed the then Congress government for its “VIP culture”, and said merely following rituals would not “rid people of their sins”. The Congress was then in power at the Centre as well as in Uttar Pradesh.
During the discussion on the President’s address in the Lok Sabha, Kriplani said, “The President made a reference to the recent unprecedented tragic happenings in Allahabad on the Kumbh Mela day. We have expressed in this House our deep sorrow for the victims of this tragedy, whether alive or dead. But this is not enough. If we are to avoid such occurrences in the future, it is necessary that we should see that we are ourselves immune from blame. If we are not immune from blame, we must find out wherein we have erred.”
Kriplani pointed out how Congressmen had changed their attitude after Independence, saying he wanted to “discuss the change in our fundamental attitude to the formal part of our religion consisting of ritual, ceremonial observance of certain holidays and even superstitions”.
“I remember that Gandhi once visited the Kumbh Mela at Haridwar to do this kind of work. He and his companions never thought that a dip in the Ganges or sprinkling of the water of the river, however sacred, on their heads, would wash away their sins and make them holy. We considered such ideas against reason and against the scientific spirit on which we prided ourselves… We did not consider the procession of hundreds of stark naked nagas as very exhilarating,” he said.
Kriplani also went on to highlight what the cultural rediscovery of India actually meant. “When some of us culturally rediscovered India, it was its ancient thought and philosophy and the great strides that our country had made so early in history, in science, in mathematics, in astrology and in medicine. We rediscovered the grandeurs of our ancient architecture, sculpture and paintings, the delicacy of our old literature, dramas, poetry, music and dance. This was Indian culture, not its barbaric pomp and show or its religious rituals and worship and its many and colourful festivals,” he said.
As he was interrupted for the use of the term “barbaric pomp”, Kriplani argued that it was just a phrase from the English language. After objections from several MPs over its usage, Kriplani maintained that the term was not derogatory, but settled on using “ancient pomp”.
Saying his predecessors never publicised events like Kumbh Mela, Kriplani said, “But what are we doing now? We widely advertised the Mela and invited all and sundry to come there assuring them that all travel facilities and hygienic conditions and accommodations were in perfect order. This was never done by our predecessors. They rather warned people against the conditions that were likely to be created,” he said.
As the Gandhian stalwart went on to throw light on the “changes” that had been incorporated in holding the event, he mentioned the then Uttar Pradesh Governor’s move to set up camp at Kumbh, leading to objections from several MPs as well as the Deputy Speaker, who claimed that the role of “high dignitaries” must not be discussed on the floor of the House.
“I certainly want to avoid everything that is offensive, but I cannot avoid the fact that the Governor went and received addresses in the sadhu camps and Naga camps. These sadhu associations passed resolutions supporting the Congress governments, and strengthening the hands of authority, while all the time what was needed was not the strengthening of the hands of authority, but… infusing in them some kind of feeling for the poor. During the British regime, these same sadhu associations passed resolutions of loyalty to the foreign government,” Kriplani said. “I submit that this practice lowers the prestige of religious bodies, bringing them into controversial party-politics. This is not the function of the Church, whether Hindu or Catholic, whether in the Kumbh or in Travancore. It must be discouraged in the name of religion,” he added.
Kumbh Mela stampede in Prayagraj leaving several dead and injured. (Express Photo by Chitral Khambati) 
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