RCB ended their 18-year drought with their maiden win. Fans waited for 18 long years. The entire team waited for 18 years. 18 years is quite a long time. Usually, at 18 years, you achieve adulthood, legally. However, despite so many years, people still remain irresponsible. The drought is over, the curse has lifted. Bengaluru should have enjoyed a joyous celebration. Instead, the air was thick with screams, the cheers replaced by cries of people and fans. The celebration turned into a scene of chaos and despair. So, what went so horribly wrong? How did a historic victory parade at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium becomes a tragedy where 11 people lost their lives and left dozens injured? Because of irresponsible celebration, miscommunication and bureaucratic ego. What happened later? A stampede and chaos.
Welcome to Bengaluru. The city which is fluent in language fights but is clueless in crowd management. Kannadiga is their obsession, but holding an event? This is not their progression.
We, Corporate Soldiers, are talking about the maiden IPL win of RCB and how the Karnataka administration failed to manage the crowd. It’s the failure of system and Karnataka’s administration showed us how to not manage anything at all. Let’s see what went wrong.
The Blunder of Dual Announcements
Two announcements. Two kinds of things. One, no celebration at all. Two, the promise of free entry. The only difference former announcement was made by Bengaluru traffic police and the latter came from the organizers aka RCB’s social media page. While the Bengaluru traffic police announced at 11:56 am that no parade was planned due to security concerns, the RCB’s official social media caused the huge blunder. They tweeted at 3:14 pm about a ‘Victory Parade’ at 5 pm. This led to chaos. Thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of overjoyed fans, drawn by the promise of free entry and to get a glimpse of their heroes, rushed to Chinnaswamy stadium. Tiny stadium for this enormous crowd size? What can we imagine? The gates, meant to channel excitement, became choke points of terror as the crowd surged. They were all desperate to get in.
It was a disaster, an epic failure of crowd management and security planning. The very entities responsible for ensuring safety, are RCB, event organizers DNA, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association. Repercussions? They are now facing FIRs for alleged negligence. Wait, shock is yet to come. While tragedy unfolded outside, with people being crushed and emergency services scrambling, the celebrations inside the stadium reportedly continued.
Bengaluru, Take Lessons From Mumbai
The false ego and superiority complex of the city have been shattered. Bengaluru, now, has been bearing the consequences of their inability to hold the crowd. This reminds us of the brilliant ability of Mumbai. When Mumbai organized T20 World Cup win ‘Victory Parade’, they handled a crowd of over 2.5 lakh people. These people gathered along the Marine Drive, not even in the stadium. Yet, not a single major incident was reported, not even a toe stubbed in anger. Surprising, isn’t it? How did the City of Dreams, Mumbai pull off such a miracle, especially when compared to Bengaluru’s tragedy? Perhaps, Bengaluru should erase their ego and take lessons from Mumbai.
The truth is that it wasn’t some magic; it was careful and meticulous planning. The moment the T20 World Cup victory parade was announced, Mumbai’s crowd was quick to hold a celebration. But, authorities were even quicker. They planned everything instantly. They converged in joint sessions and prepared everything in mere 36 hours. Overnight, they set barricades along the parade route. Also, they immediately shared clear instructions on social media platforms. On the other hand, Bengaluru lacked this foresight. There was a lot of miscommunication and a lack of coordination.
Ranting About Crowd? Bengaluru, Read This
Now, here comes another lesson. When the Wankhede Stadium, with its 30,000 capacity, began to swell beyond 40,000 people, the gates were decisively shut. But not without any measure. They made the announcement and immediately directed people to Marine Drive. Bengaluru, take your notes please, this is where early intervention starts. This step prevented a stampede, a stark contrast to what you did, Bengaluru. You announced free entry and it led to an uncontrollable surge of 2-3 lakh people for a 35,000-capacity venue. While Mumbai had emergency services on standby, and the parade route was kept clear, Bengaluru was all in chaos. In Mumbai, even minor incidents of breathlessness or lost footwear were addressed swiftly. On the other hand, people waited hours for the ambulance.
| Aspect | Bengaluru (Chinnaswamy Stadium) | MumbaiMarine Drive/ Wankhede |
| Crowd Size | Above 3 lakh | Above 2.5 lakh |
| Crowd Control | Congestion at gates, barricades trampled | Pressure points well managed |
| Police Personnel Deployment | Poorly coordinated and in insufficient numbers | Above 600 personnel, senior officers |
| Communication | Poor, confusing and contradictory | Clear, precise, proactive, social media alerts |
| Emergency Response | Chaotic, ambulances blocked | No major incidents, ambulances on standby |
| Outcome | 11 dead and 50+ injured, blame game is going on | Cheerful celebration, mishap free |
Why Only Mumbai? Take Lessons From Prayagraj and MahaKumbh
Dear Bengaluru, rather than ranting over traffic and obsessing over language, learn to manage the crowd. If Mumbai seems too shallow for you, take an example from Prayagraj. Yes, the holy city that successfully organized ‘Mahakumbh’. While Mumbai can manage lakhs, Prayagraj can manage crores, but Bengaluru, where do you stand? The city that claims to be India’s Silicon Valley, yet can’t even manage a cricket crowd without turning celebration into disaster. Instead of learning from past tragedies, the Karnataka administration seemed determined to repeat every mistake in the book. How? They ignored warnings and indulged in ego clashes. When disaster inevitably strikes, suspend a few officials and set up a commission. Rinse, repeat, forget. This is the forever pattern with the city. What are you so proud of then?
Bengaluru, if Mumbai’s parade was a lesson in urban crowd management then Maha Kumbh Mela is the PhD for you. Even Prayagraj handled it beautifully. They managed the crowd of 45 crore attendees and authorities in Prayagraj, and never lacked in anything. They implemented high-tech surveillance and even created a dedicated district. Also, they deployed thousands of trained personnel. Real-time monitoring, dedicated entry/exit points, emergency response teams and whatnot? This is how you handle a greater crowd.
Lessons Unlearnt, Lives Lost
The Chinnaswamy stampede was not an accident, it was the result of administrative arrogance and incompetence. As Mumbai and Prayagraj have shown, crowd management isn’t a complex thing. All it requires a careful planning, coordination, and a willingness to put public safety above political clashes. But in Bengaluru, the state’s response was too slow. The human lives were lost because of their blunders. Families are left shattered, mourning young lives lost. People are grieving. ‘He died in an RCB shirt. They danced when RCB won and now he is gone. Can RCB give him back to us?’ These are the words that mothers are asking.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident ‘heartrending,’ and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced compensation, but lives are lost and the questions linger. The BCCI itself questioned the organizers’ preparedness, stating, ‘The organizers should have planned it better’.
It serves as a painful, undeniable lesson. When planning meets chaos, even the sweetest victory can turn bitter. Corporate Soldiers stands with people!
