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There was absolute visible shock in Kolkata as news of 19 confirmed deaths due to stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on the evening of October 17 came in. From what we have learnt, around around 7:40 pm, there was a sudden rush of visitors that may have tried to seek the shelter of the puja pandal as soon as rain began.  One of the approaches was reportedly too narrow and people’s movement in and out of the pandal was quite slow. These factors may have led to the stampede. People also claimed before TV cameras that there were no proper police or crowd management mechanisms in place — like in previous years. 

Huge crowds of anxious people soon gathered at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital where some 25 more injured persons had been admitted. We heard chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, assuring all that everything that is required is being done. Then, he came out abruptly in his aggressive self at the hospital saying “we are not like other governments” without clarifying what exactly he meant. 

Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal remains sealed following a stampede, in Kolkata, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. Photo: PTI.

The government has allegedly asked families of those being treated to move to a private hospital far away from this hurly burly — to defuse the crisis at India’s historic first medical college and hospital. The fact that he was indirectly admitting that this iconic institution was not that good touched a raw nerve, as common people know they could never afford expensive private medical treatment. 

Adhikari has promised to spend millions for treatment and “compensation” to get out of this terrible fix. The prime minister has also jumped in with hefty money bags to “compensate” for the dead, even as grief mixes with public fury across the city and state.  

One fact is certain: No government before Adhikari’s has ever faced such a public tragedy. Kolkata is known to manage mammoth crowds during Durga Pujas, and during its many political rallies, without any tragic incident or deaths arising from inadequate crowd management. After last year’s Durga Puja, Kolkata’s Metro rail reported some 42 lakh passengers travelling on it during the five days.

That’s only the Metro. We have no statistics on how many passengers availed local trains, buses, trams, taxis and private transport. But, hazarding a guess of about one crore people out on the streets during the........

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