STAMPEDE FOR MOKSHA - A Story Of Adversity And Compassion

STAMPEDE FOR MOKSHA

19 Feb 2025

While the whole country and to some extent the world was going gaga over the arrangements over the Kumbh Mela, estimated to be the largest congregation of people anywhere in the world, one after the other, two disturbing news shocked my mind.

Both happened at two different places, different situations, but the same remorseful outcome. Why there is no value for human life in this country? Why in the name of God we go so berserk. No arrangement or infrastructure would be enough, unless we learn how to use it, respect it and share it. We generally will tend to blame the organisers, question the authorities and feel we are demanding our rights. The opposition parties in our chaotic democracy will question the incumbent party, disrupt normal functioning of institutions in the name of protest and bandhs, and very soon it will become business as usual. When we know that the situation can go out of hand, especially for women and children, what the common citizens do in a scenario like this?

The repeated play of both the horrific incidents on twenty-four seven loudest TV broadcasts, one in Prayagraj on Mauni Amavasya and other in New Delhi Railway Station, for passengers boarding train to go to Prayagraj, in quick succession, brought a very depressing thought in my mind. Hum aise Kyun hai (Why are we like this)? Was this the Moksha the unlucky souls were aspiring for by taking a bath in the holy waters of Triveni Sangam, during a special alignment of stars which occurs in every one hundred and fourty-four years. Who know?

I was reminded of a similar stampede like situation and had an eventful bus journey, which was a personal experience of sorts which is still strongly itched in my mind. This was about a quarter century ago when I was posted in Gorakhpur, a major town in Eastern UP. Getting this posting immediately after Delhi and Mumbai as such was a huge culture shock. Everyone had scared about the law-and-order situation, the bad infrastructure and a very unfriendly culture. Being in protected military campuses, we get secluded from the outside day today problems, but one has to face the occasional situations of very different nature, especially when one has to travel using public transports in this part of the country.

I am going to narrate a true story that I had faced while travelling back to Gorakhpur from New Delhi. I had travelled to New Delhi along with my wife and three-year-old son for Diwali. Since those days, air travel was not very common and out of the reach of common man, we had travelled by train, booked well in advance in the air-conditioned compartment. After the short stay in New Delhi, we had planned to return from Delhi to Gorakhpur by a train which starts in the evening and reaches around morning 10 o’clock, a very convenient time. Since we had confirmed booking, we planned for a comfortable journey back. I insisted on reaching the station bit early, and my father-in-law, being an Army Colonel who believes in just in time concept, agreed to drop us bit early, especially since we had travel more than 20 kms from Noida to Old Delhi Railway station, especially those who know how the messy the old Delhi traffic can get sometime. We are also accompanied by my brother-in-law who was in town at the moment for some reason.

When we neared the railway station, the parking area appeared to be bit more crowded than usual, we still could manage to get a parking next to the MCO, Colonel saab showed his cards!! We did not have much luggage and started moving towards the platform. The moment we entered and stepped on to the platform, we were swamped by a huge rush of crowd and the platform looked jam packed. That’s where first time I heard about a religious function called Chhath (Sixth Day) which is one of the most cherished festivals of Bihar and Eastern UP, we were told all these crowd are going to their home town to celebrate the religious function with their family members. Our train was supposed to be on platform three and we had to take the foot over bridge, and the crowd seemed to be choking from all sides. With a lot of struggle, we could manage to reach our compartment. But, to our surprise, all coaches were already full with passengers who had no reservations, probably no tickets, but had a birthright to travel in whichever means they could, even if causes serious discomfort to legitimate travelers. The AC compartment in which we had reservation was so full that we could not even dare to enter the bogie, some people were already hanging on the railings and one leg on the foot board.

I told my wife and son to wait with my father-in-law and looked for a ticket conductor. No conductor was in sight. Luckily the station master was himself on the platform, not knowing how to manage the situation. When I requested him showing my defence id-card and train reservations, he directed the Railway Protection Force (two constables) to accompany us to help us reach our berth. They had sticks in their hand, wielded them through the crowd and made some space in the train so that we could enter the train, reach our berth, which was already overflowing with people. While entering, it was so horrifying to see people with metal trunks trying to enter the train, not bother if it is hitting someone’s head. The Police said, they can’t make the other people get off the train, as it will hurt religious sentiments and asked us to adjust whatever way it is possible. I realized that it will be impossible to travel about sixteen hours where it is so cramped that one can not even go to the washroom. With a quick calculation, we decided to get off the train and travel by bus.

We thought that, since it is a big city, there will be good buses. And We had to travel that day as I had to join back work, you can’t extend your leave on flimsy grounds such as the train was full and I could not travel. So, we reached ISBT which was very near to Old Delhi Railway station. To our surprise we found that all buses which leave for Gorakhpur don’t depart from ISBT, Delhi. After checking from few people, we got to know that we have to board it from Anand Vihar Bus Stand.

It took about forty five minutes to reach Anand Vihar. There was no luxury bus from there. There was very frequent bus service, every 15 minutes to Gorakhpur, but each bus coming to the stop was so full. After leaving two three buses which again we could not enter as they were already full, we realized that people are boarding the buses right after it is leaving the depot. My Brother-in-Law helped in walking to the depot and boarded the bus by keeping three seats in front which ensured that we have three seats at least, one in front just behind the sleeping seat for co-driver and two just after that, all in left side of the bus. We bought three tickets including the child to have a relatively comfortable journey, even though a three-year-old was exempted, if you manage him or her on your seat. The bus was full already, we waved at my Father-in-Law, Brother-in-law came running and waving till some distance, shouting take care di and the bus was out of the yard.

Now, the story so far may seem so common place and nothing unusual as most people face such challenges on everyday basis. So fast forward to the actual incident that I wish to narrate here. The bus was filthy, the men around were unkempt, some even smoked bidi without any concern for fellow passengers, we sacrificed one of our three seats to accommodate an elderly man who could not find a place, a long stoppage for more than two hours just after Gaziabad leading to irritation of many, but driver was unmoved as he had to have his dinner (and the pawa hidden in a coke bottle, I am sure) in a dhaba he always does, the bus travelling through narrow potholed so called national highway, it finally reached the state capital at 10 am, after a delay of more than five hours, it was simply put ‘nightmarish’. The bus stopped for a long time (may be over an hour) and we got sometime to freshen ourselves.

The bus finally left Lucknow bus stop after about couple of hours and I was happy that we are already in our last leg. The dry wash of face, some cool air was making me feel fresh and cheerful. The highway those days were only two lanes and did not have road dividers. After about an hour, I saw a truck coming from front, the bus driver was not very experienced, and the tail part of the truck probably grazed over the bus. There was a loud shout, the bus driver parked the bus, got down to inspect the extent of damage. The truck driver had not stopped, may be fearing a possible scuffle. After satisfying the damage to the bus is minor, the driver again came to the driver’s seat and the journey recommenced. After about 15 to 20 minutes, I heard a commotion towards the rear of the bus. I got up to go and have a look and was aghast with the scene what I saw. A young man in early twenties seating towards the last seats was filled with blood and grunting with severe pain. The other man in the three-seater was completely indifferent and was not even raising an alarm. I was not very familiar with the place where we were at the moment. But asked the driver how much it will take to reach the next town. He said we are about to reach Basti, but the bus will take the bypass. I requested that we need to take the man to a hospital at the earliest as he is profusely bleeding. With lot of reluctance and grumbling from fellow passengers, and only after I showed him my military Identity Card, he agreed to change route and take us through the town called Basti. It was approximately 3 pm on the afternoon and the town looked like a ghost town, probably the entire city was asleep. After asking for directions, we could reach the district hospital. Most people were very angry with me now causing the delay, in fact some suggested to leave me in the hospital and leave for Gorakhpur, which was about two hours away. But, the driver knew that my family was in the bus and said, “jaldi aa jana saab (come back quickly)”.

Only one other man got down with me when we carried the injured man to the hospital. You can’t imagine the scene. Once I lifted him, his entire bone of the right hand came out and the palm was hanging near his elbow, such a horrific scene it was. I tried to stop his blood in one hand and we carried him in and put him on an empty bed in the first room that we saw. The hospital was so dilapidated and filth including cow dungs all around. It was the district hospital of Basti. Not a soul to be seen anywhere. After some search, one person came and he introduced that he is the compounder. He was a kind soul, in his early forties. After a first glance, he said, they will not be able to do any thing and he should be taken to Gorakhpur Medical college immediately. I requested that please call the doctor so that we give him some first aid before he can reach the proper hospital. The compounder informed that, the doctor has told him not to disturb in the afternoon (those days there were no mobile phones, and pagers were not common place, in fact I have never used a pager in my life). He asked me to get some bandage from the nearby medical shop and a wooden scale. With the scale, and the bandage cloth, sterile cotton, the compounder made a dressing of the wound and we carried back the young man to the bus. Now, in stead of taking him to his seat in the rear of the bus, I made him lie down in the co-driver’s seat in the front. He was still in pain, though I had given him a pain killer. No one else, came forward to help him. The drive was by now very considerate and so was the bus conductor (conductor had become friends with me knowing that he can get cheap liquor from defence canteen!!). I sat over the engine guard next to the man lying on the front seat holding his waist firm so that he does not fall off during turns or jerks.

We entered Gorakhpur City Limits around evening 6 pm. I asked other people that can we route the bus via the medical college, but was completely outnumbered. So per force, I had to relent and the bus first went to the City Bus Stand of Gorakhpur. After all people got down, I arranged a rikshaw for my wife and son to go home, which was not too far. The bus driver and conductor by then had become friendly and agreed to take him to the medical college hospital in the bus itself, some humanity had arisen in their heart by then I guess, or may be the prospect of free liquor from defence canteen. Rest everything went very uneventful; I could drop him to the emergency in the medical college hospital. The doctors in the hospitals were interns, highly dedicated and I knew at least he will be in good care. By the time I reached back home late around 8 pm night, I was bit tired, mostly due to lack of sleep and no time to take a bath. But a sense of adventure will remain in my memories for ever.

As I think back today, after watching the videos of two such similar incidents on TV, which happened in quick succession, that to loss of lives of many innocent women and children, is it an act of God that such things happen. Were they destined to attain their Moksha in this manner. I was fortunate to visit Prayagraj this year just before the Mela began, saw all arrangements in a very comfortable transport, took a deep in the Sangam without any crowd and have no desire to attain Moksha by taking a deep in those holy days. Many of my acquaintance also have been able to visit and post nice memories. But whenever a loved one asks, should I go to Kumbh Mela, the scenes of stampede come vividly to my mind. Nothing is right or wrong. But we should avoid chaos and not chase something that can lead to disasters like this. Also, when we are so religious, take par tin so many Melas and temple rituals, why can’t we be more humane to a fellow man or woman. Why is there always a sense of me first and me best.

One may say what is the big deal. So many in this country dying everyday due to some accidents, mishaps and natural disasters. Similar things happening in wars, terror attacks or freak accidents (65 people dying in a plane collision in the most developed nation last month). In such case, why only deaths in religious functions get such negative attention. For me death is definitely a pain and a big loss for the person’s near and dear ones. I am actually not much concerned about the phenomena of death. What bothers me is the shear apathy we develop for our fellow humans while we chase such attainments, may be through religious gatherings or otherwise. We all have a better world, if we just develop some compassion, empathy and respect for every other than ourselves, the way we have for our religion, sects or God(s).

Note – Every bit in this narration is true incident, including the names. It may appear, I have made up few scenes to boast about myself, but believe me it is something that happened in my life. Adversity and compassion, probably brings out the best in us.