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Correspondent

21 August 2024 at 3:50:16 pm

Optics First

On the very day Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed 25 years in executive office, Opposition leader and Congress scion Rahul Gandhi offered his own political counter-programme: another impromptu sit-in, another confrontation with the police and another opportunity for the cameras. It was difficult not to see it as an attempt to steal some of Modi’s thunder. The Opposition has alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls and accused the Election Commission of bias. The ECI and...

Optics First

On the very day Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed 25 years in executive office, Opposition leader and Congress scion Rahul Gandhi offered his own political counter-programme: another impromptu sit-in, another confrontation with the police and another opportunity for the cameras. It was difficult not to see it as an attempt to steal some of Modi’s thunder. The Opposition has alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls and accused the Election Commission of bias. The ECI and the government have rejected those allegations. The issue itself is serious and deserves scrutiny. But the increasingly elaborate choreography surrounding Rahul Gandhi’s protests raises a more pointed question: is the objective to persuade the electorate, pressure an institution or simply manufacture an image of permanent confrontation? The latest episode was hardly an isolated improvisation. In July, Rahul and Congress leaders turned up unexpectedly near the Prime Minister’s residence following student protests and demanded an FIR. A month later came another dramatic intervention at a police station over a student’s alleged pellet injury. Now comes the Akashvani Bhawan episode in form of a surprise dash on Gandhi’s part followed by an hours-long sit-in and eventual detention. There is nothing inherently undemocratic about street protest. But there is a distinction between making an issue impossible to ignore and making oneself impossible to ignore. Even Rahul’s INDIA bloc partners appear to have noticed that distinction. Reports suggest some allies were unhappy that what began as a joint Opposition protest increasingly came to resemble a Rahul Gandhi-led exercise, with questions also raised over the strategy and the demand to meet the Election Commission. That is a revealing fault line. A political movement requires a coherent argument, institutional pressure and, above all, a credible proposition about what should happen next. Rahul Gandhi may be trying to demonstrate that he is no longer merely the politician who speaks from the podium or posts on social media. He wants to be seen confronting power physically and visibly. That may energise his supporters. But political theatre has diminishing returns when the performance begins to overshadow the purpose. Rahul Gandhi once seemed determined to establish himself as an alternative to Narendra Modi through speeches, parliamentary interventions and the politics of the road. He now appears equally invested in establishing himself as the politician willing to physically confront the state. But politics is not a contest for the most arrestable photograph. If the allegation is “vote theft”, the burden is to establish the theft.The danger for Rahul Gandhi is that the spectacle eventually becomes bigger than the cause. If the argument is that Indian democracy is being hollowed out, the Opposition needs an argument capable of surviving after the cameras leave. Because politics cannot forever be optics first.

Dangerous Departures

Correspondent
Oct 29, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Oct 30, 2024

Dangerous Departures

In yet another shocking incident adding to Mumbai’s infamous tryst with stampedes, chaos erupted at Mumbai’s Bandra Terminus following a weekend stampede that left at least ten persons injured, two critically so. A crowd surged toward the Gorakhpur-bound train with nearly 1,500 people vying for seats in 22 unreserved compartments, leading to the stampede. Several others narrowly avoided tragedy, with some even pushed onto the tracks. This is not a unique episode but rather a recurring theme in Mumbai’s bedevilled crowd management, one that has haunted the city’s public spaces, particularly as festive seasons magnify the crowds.


Mumbai is no stranger to stampedes. A horrifying incident in 2017 at Elphinstone Road Station left 23 people dead and nearly 50 injured. The cause was a familiar one: an overwhelming crowd confined to a narrow footbridge during peak rush hour. The tragedy sparked an outcry, with promises from authorities to upgrade infrastructure and enhance safety protocols. Yet seven years on, crowd-related incidents continue to be a constant danger. Today’s incident reveals a similar lapse—a lack of foresight in managing the thousands who gather on platforms ahead of Diwali, eager to return to family. That the Gorakhpur Express was unreserved and heavily crowded was predictable.


The issue lies beyond simply crowd density; it is emblematic of deeper systemic negligence. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), responsible for local public safety, along with the Railways Ministry, bear responsibility for ensuring order at such high-risk hubs. Although the BMC acknowledged the “festive rush,” it appears little was done to pre-empt it. Swift action could have been taken to either disperse the crowd or reroute passengers. Instead, chaos prevailed.


Political reaction has been swift but uninspiring. Aaditya Thackeray, son of Uddhav Thackeray, launched a scathing attack on the Union Railways Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, branding the incident a result of the minister’s “incapable” leadership. This hardly addresses the immediate need: a substantive plan to manage crowds and prevent similar incidents.


Mumbai’s transport infrastructure remains sorely outdated. Platforms are undersized, signalling systems frequently falter, and crowd control mechanisms are grossly inadequate. Despite repeated accidents, there has been little investment in comprehensive crowd management systems or the deployment of personnel trained in emergency response. While railway footbridges were widened after the Elphinstone tragedy, Bandra’s incident demonstrates that such incremental changes are insufficient. Mumbai, which sees a swelling populace during festivals, demands a robust strategy to address its vulnerabilities. This should include technology-driven crowd monitoring, clear communication channels to inform passengers of platform conditions, and additional security and medical staff on high-demand days. It is essential that crowd management training for personnel becomes a priority rather than a reaction to tragedies.

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