The Puri stampede once again exposes the flaws in India’s crowd management strategies as well as how the well-entrenched VIP culture harms the interests of common devotees
We are witnessing the rise of a culture where being a fan is valued more than being a thinker, a questioner, or an achiever. India must move from spectacle to substance, from fandom to citizenship, from mourning to meaningful reform
Managing such a massive number of people was a challenge, which was efficiently handled by the government and administration, presenting it as a model to the world. Over the 45 days of this grand event, more than 660 million devotees participated. This number is nearly half of India's total population