Thiruvananthapuram:
The Kerala High Court is less than impressed by the reports presented today on the possible reasons for the Sabarimala stampede earlier this month, in which 102 people were killed. (
See pictures) Initial investigations suggested that an auto used by pilgrims collided with a jeep and that triggered panic which erupted into a stampede in the 27-kilometre long stretch that's only 4 metres wide and is used by millions of devotees.
The court said if the government cannot take basic safety precautions, it should consider cancelling the pilgrimage through the tricky narrow stretch where the stampede took place last Friday night at Pullmedu in the Idukki district. It also wants an explanation for why more than 1000 vehicles were allowed on the precariously-narrow path used by pilgrims on the day the tragedy took place. Shops clutter the same area, and the court wants to know whether they've been set up with permission.
The court had asked different agencies involved with managing Sabarimala pilgrims to submit explanations for possible causes of the stampede which occurred on Makarajyothi Day, which marks the culmination of the pilgrimage and provides a glimpse of the Makarjyoti or Divine Light that appears on a hilltop.
The court had earlier pulled up the government for a lack of coordination between the different agencies, which the court believes endangered, the safety of Sabarimala devotees. The police, the trust that governs the temple and the Forest Department were all ordered to submit reports.
The police have said it cannot be held responsible for any aspect of the tragedy. Report says more than 200 policemen were on duty in the area, and the rescue operations that followed the stampede were commendable.
The Travancore Devaswom Board that governs the temple said that it has repeatedly been denied permission to improve infrastructure and facilities for the millions of pilgrims that visit the Sabarimala temple. It said because a part of the area is demarcated as a tiger reserve, the trust is restricted in its development work. It highlights that the lane used by pilgrims to walk to and from the temple is narrow and that parking in the area is not regulated.