The All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) has expressed its shock and outrage at the devastating stampede that occurred on 2 July in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh in a Satsang by self-styled godman, Narayan Saakar Vishwa Hari aka Bhole Baba. Nearly 121 people, mostly women, lost their lives in this stampede. The number of injured is known.
This tragedy is a stark reminder of the negligence of the Yogi government, who failed to ensure the safety and well-being of the people. The lack of adequate arrangements and crowd control measures led to this avoidable disaster.
The stampede was also a devastating consequence of the recklessness and negligence of these so-called spiritual leaders, who lure vulnerable people with unrealisable promises. We condemn the exploitation of faith for personal gain and demand that the government takes action against the organisers of this satsang. Although the police have lodged a FIR, Bhole Baba has not been named in it.
The lack of proper medical infrastructure and emergency response mechanisms resulted in the death of 121 people. Delayed medical attention and inadequate healthcare facilities is an outright indictment of the state’s apathy towards healthcare. The callousness of authorities by not providing adequate security measures and also preventing overcrowding of the location is a violation of the fundamental right to life of the citizens.
This incident is a wake-up call for the state to acknowledge its failures and take concrete steps to prevent such tragedies in the future.
AIDWA believes the authorities are accountable for their negligence, and has demanded justice for the victims and their families and action against the perpetrators of this stampede, even as expressing heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, who lost their lives in this tragic incident.
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*Respectively president, general secretary
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