Nagpur: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said the fatal stampede at a Kolkata Durga Puja pandal was the result of human lapses rather than natural causes, insisting that those responsible must be identified.
Speaking at the Sangh’s Vijayadashami event in Nagpur, Bhagwat also urged young people to exercise caution while consuming online content and flagged the dangers arising from the misuse of artificial intelligence.
“A tragic incident has occurred in Kolkata. Nature cannot be held responsible for it. Human error is responsible,” the RSS chief said, referring to the tragedy that unfolded during Durga Puja celebrations in West Bengal’s capital.
The stampede occurred on October 17 at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata, on the occasion of Maha Saptami. At least 19 people lost their lives following a sudden surge in the crowd during rainfall.
A police officer said that revellers waiting outside the pandal moved forward abruptly as rain began, leading several people to fall on the road and setting off the crush, as reported by Moneycontrol.
PTI quoted West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari as saying that an announcement by the organisers had triggered the sudden rush.
Bhagwat also pointed to comparable tragedies in Nepal and voiced concern over the environmental impact of what he called the monopolistic exercise of power by certain nations.
“The Himalayas span several countries, and the use of monopolistic power by some countries to exploit and damage the natural environment is not sustainable development,” he said.
Caution On Digital Content
The RSS chief said some countries had rules for social media and OTT platforms, but India did not have similar rules yet. He said young people should be taught to choose online content wisely.
“We will therefore have to educate our younger generations to make informed choices about what they consume,” Bhagwat said.
He further warned that artificial intelligence could be exploited irresponsibly, pointing to fabricated videos circulating online as an instance of the technology being misused.
