It seems blind faith of our people in charlatans and deifying them as ‘Godmen’ would never end. A blood curdling disaster took place in Uttar Pradesh on 2nd July, 2024. At a prayer meet in Hathras District, 121 devotees were killed in a horrible stampede. The venue was a prayer hall in Fulrai Village in the district.
A self-styled Godman Narayan Sakar Hari had transformed himself as a spiritual preacher, changing his name as Suraj Pal. He was worshipped by gullible villagers all over this district as “Bhole Baba” – another nick name of this trickster. He was once a police constable who later turned a religious preacher. He urged his followers to seek the so called ‘Almighty’ in him. His wife has also been hand in glove with him.
During a prayer meet held on the tragic day, the venue was over-crowded and the exit passage was too narrow. After the prayer, people had rushed to collect some soil from around the feet of ‘Bhole Baba’. They crazily ran towards him to greet and touch him. When the crowd was about to leave the venue, the untoward incident happened. People fell on one another and some even walked on the fallen victims. 121 were killed in the horrible stampede. More than 200 were severely injured. When they were rushed to a community health care center, no doctor was available to attend on the injured. The ‘Godman’ is reported to have expressed his condolence and lip-sympathy.
The organisers of the prayer meet have blamed the disaster on “anti-social elements.” The ‘Godman’ Suraj Pal, alias “Bhole Baba” has absconded; but it is too late a regret. He himself says he would take legal action against the anti-social elements behind the disaster. Is it not disowning the responsibility and the crime?
The Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered a judicial probe into the incident. It seems he too believes that there was a conspiracy behind the stampede. We have to wait for the development in this case.
Presently our concern is the superstition and irrationalism of our gullible people. In an era of amazing technological advancement how could our people still have unshakeable faith in such “Godmen”? “Bhole Baba” has not been named as an accused by the police, but the Chief Minister has assured, all those who are guilty will be punished. Let us hope such tragic stampedes do not occur anywhere atleast in future.
