Why Society Turns To Miracle Workers

SOME 121 people, mostly women and children, died at Hathras last fortnight in a stampede at a congregation presided over by Bhole Baba.

- C P SURENDRAN

Neither the gods nor the Baba himself could prevent their painful deaths. Besides wars and rail accidents, superstition is possibly one of India's biggest killers.

Was the belief in Bhole Baba's miraculous powers a superstition?

Of course. Close to three decades ago, Bhole Baba was Suraj Pal Singh, a constable with the UP police and a Dalit. When enlightenment arrives, it does so with a change of name. Suraj Singh changed his name to Narayan Sakar Hari, and took to wearing white to symbolise the eternal sunshine of his spotless mind. His blessings brought fortunes to his followers. He, too, was blessed in return. He amassed wealth. It was a miracle certainly for the Baba.

The Hathras satsang last fortnight attracted a 200,000-strong crowd. The event was managed by Baba's private security team, which media reports as numbering under 20. They were not up to the job of handling the stampede. Normally, a crowd this big would need the state government's help. There was none. The criminal negligence that Baba and his aides have been accused of would therefore need to be shared by the state government, too.

In any case, crowd management is not just about the number of security men deployed. It is about how to enforce discipline by organising queues, entries and exits, seating arrangements, and keeping emergency measures in place.