India thrives in its gatherings. Cricket triumphs, political rallies, religious festivals, or celebrity events draw thousands — sometimes lakhs — into streets and squares, showcasing our nation’s vibrant pulse. Yet, this energy comes with a persistent challenge — managing these crowds safely and predictably. Recent tragedies, from stampedes to chaotic dispersals, reveal the steep price of mismanagement. The solution isn’t just stricter policing or post-incident probes: It’s systemic planning, an area where India’s governance often falls short. Crowds in India are evolving. Once limited to predictable events like annual pilgrimages or election rallies, they now form spontaneously, sparked by social media and converging in minutes. These flash gatherings often overwhelm semi-urban areas unprepared for such surges. Unlike traditional assemblies, they’re less structured, more fluid, and far harder to anticipate.

Conventional policing — barricades, megaphones, lathi-wielding units — is increasingly ineffective. Our police are skilled and courageous but often under-equipped for this new reality. The problem isn’t just policing; it’s governance that hasn’t kept pace.

India urgently needs a National Framework for Crowd Management — a flexible,........

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