log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SUNDAY MAY 4, 2025 Facebook.com/thegoan 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 316 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 MOVIES »PAGE 16 GOOD LIFE »PAGE 12 WEEKEND READ »PAGE 15 Love served gently Are we breathing toxic air? Tagore lives on SPORTS »PAGE 7 FC Goa clinches historic second Kalinga Super Cup Movie Review: Love, laughs & a lurking spirit Criticism, laziness, and anger management Juice up your B12 Goa hope to win medals at Khelo India Youth Games Cyrusi opens up about her unexpected love story with Rustom Understanding the crisis – The current state of air pollution and its impact Ahead of Tagore’s birth anniversary on May 7, decoding what makes the Nobel Laureate relevant even today HORROR AT DEVI LAIRAI ZATRA 6 KILLED IN STAMPEDE, 80 INJURED RUMOURS, ‘FIGHT’ BETWEEN DHONDS SPARK PANIC AS HUNDREDS ATTEMPT TO RUSH OUT STATE PLUNGES INTO GRIEF AND GLOOM THE GOAN I NETWORK BICHOLIM/PANAJI The State was plunged into shock, grief and gloom after six persons were killed while around 80 others were injured in a stampede at the famous Devi Lairai Zatra at Shirgao in the wee hours of Saturday. According to reports, the incident, the first of its kind in the State, took place sometime around 4 am when thousands of people were in and around the temple. They had gathered to watch the devotees known as Dhonds who were to walk barefoot on the burning embers in the wee hours of Saturday. A large number of people had also converged along the narrow road, which had houses and temporary stalls on both sides further reducing the road access. While different theories were doing the rounds as to the exact cause of the stampede, the Devasthan Committee President Dinanath Gaonkar claimed that there had been some arguments between two groups of Dhonds. He claimed that a devotee accidentally touched an electric >> SEE PG 3 Policemen attempt to control the Dhonds and the surging crowd of devotees from entering the Devi Lairai temple at Shirgao on Saturday. Narayan Pissurlenkar bulb as people were pushing to get ahead. The devotee then fell on others in the densely packed crowd. Some rumours were reportedly spread in the area, causing further confusion. In the ensuing chaos, hundreds of people tried to rush out of the narrow road when many fell down and got crushed in a stampede, as people tried to flee from the site. According to an eyewitness account, an elderly woman slipped while devotees were moving away and when some tried to help her, others coming from behind fell on them. The horror of the tragedy began to unfold as dozens of people were injured in the stampede. Police teams along with locals and devotees shifted the injured persons >Continued on P6 Serious lapses in crowd control exposed despite massive police presence at site 14 grievously injured shifted to GMC, 5 in critical state THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Fourteen people seriously injured in the stampede at the Shirgao Devi Lairai temple jatra in the wee hours of Saturday were brought to the Goa Medical College and Hospital and five among them are critical, on ventilators in the trauma ward ICU. GMC's Medical Superintendent, Dr Rajesh Patil said, most of them sustained rib fractures, maxillary sinus injury and soft tissue injuries. One person was discharged in the evening. While two of the injured are youth aged 19 and 24, the remaining twelve are between 45 and 55 years. "One woman who had a rib fracture is showing signs of recovery and is being administered drips now," Dr Patil said, adding that of the five patients on ventilators, one is showing signs of recovery. "Two of them are critical but we are doing our best. All are kept in the trauma intensive care ward, and if we get more patients referred to >Continued on P6 ON PAGE 2 TEMPLE COMMITTEE REFUSES TO BLAME ADMIN FAILURE DGP CLAIMS POLICE INTERVENTION HELPED CONTAIN DISASTER THE GOAN I NETWORK FORBIDDEN FRUIT: THE TOXIC RIPENING IN SHORT >> India bans imports from Pakistan NEW DELHI: India imposed a ban on import of goods coming from or transiting through Pakistan and also entry of Pakistani ships into its ports even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country is committed to take “firm and decisive” action against terrorists. In fresh measures against Pakistan, India also suspended exchange of mails, parcels via air and surface routes. >> See pg 6 GOVT CANCELS STATE EVENTS FOR 3 DAYS TIVIM FAMILIES SHATTERED BY STAMPEDE PANAJI The stampede -- the first ever at the centuries-old annual festival – highlighted glaring lapses in crowd control and administrative preparedness. While the district administration failed to provide details on the readiness even during the festival, the highest-ever deployment of 1,012 police personnel did help. “It was a bad day. Things have obviously gone wrong. There were certain shortcomings, although measures were taken to ensure smooth occurrence of the festival,” an officer admitted to The Goan on condition of anonymity. Sources revealed that separate police teams under Police Inspectors of Mopa, Bicholim, Anjuna, Mapusa and Colvale An injured devotee being rushed to the Community Health Centre in Bicholim. were stationed strategically, whereas SDPO Bicholim was tasked with overall supervision. Roughly 350 officers and personnel were on night duty. However, it has emerged that no mock drill was conduct- ed in the lead-up to the mega event, despite expectations of a massive turnout. “There were sufficient police personnel. But nobody could have imagined a stampede-like situation,” another officer confessed. As distressing visuals from the scene went viral, showing hapless devotees struggling amid the melee, allegations began surfacing that the police stood as mute spectators. Director General of Police Alok Kumar was quick to deflect blame, claiming that police intervention helped contain what could have spiralled into a far bigger disaster. “We estimate there were around 1 to 1.5 lakh devotees. The situation was brought under control swiftly,” the DGP said. He later told The Goan that the police deployment was adequate, which allowed for a swift response. “Because of the sufficient police arrangements, the incident was contained within a small area,” >Continued on P6 SHOCK, ANGER, CONCERN ENGULF GMC'S CORRIDORS DEAFENING SILENCE FALLS OVER SHIRGAO: GRIEF AND SHOCK LINGER PROBING ALL ANGLES TO ASCERTAIN CAUSE OF TRAGEDY: JACQUES OPPOSITION SLAMS GOVERNMENT, DEMANDS INQUIRY Identity crisis: Too many Dhonds, too little control? AGNELO PEREIRA THE GOAN I MAPUSA T he annual Shirgao Zatra turned tragic in the early hours of Saturday morning when a stampede at the revered temple site led to chaos, widespread panic, injuries and deaths. While the official cause remains under investigation, eyewitnesses and local voices are pointing to internal disorder among the participating dhonds and a lack of adequate infrastructure as key contributors to the incident. According to Mahadev Thanekar, a Dhond from Mayem who was present at the scene, tensions among the participants had been simmering for some time before the disaster unfolded. “Just before the stampede, there were at least two or three scuffles among the Dhonds,” Thanekar recalled. “Suddenly there was a surge – a huge wave of people pushing forward and in seconds, it was like watching a pack of cards collapse.” Thanekar, who was in line for the ritual of Homkhond when the stampede struck between 3.45 and 4 am, described the terrifying scene as hundreds scrambled to escape. “It was frightening. I jumped over a fence to get away. Others did the same, scaling stalls and breaking through barriers,” he said. POOR INFRA, HUGE CROWD Eyewitnesses described how of overhead lighting wires fell during the melee, sparking rumours of an electrical shock. “That only made things worse. People didn’t know whether to run from the crowd or from a perceived electric hazard,” Thanekar said. COMMUNITY TENSIONS TORCHBEARERS: Dhonds participate in the annual ritual at Lairai Devi zatra in the early hours of Saturday. Narayan Pissurlenkar narrow roads and temporary stalls lining the ritual path exacerbated the situation. The Homkhond route, set on a slope, left little room for maneuvering once the crowd began to surge. To add to the panic, strings In the aftermath, some from within the Dhond community have expressed frustration over what they see as a growing disregard for discipline and spiritual focus. Yashwant, another senior Dhond, said the recent years have seen an unchecked rise in the number of participants. “Earlier, being a Dhond came with responsibility and reverence. Now, anyone wants to join – children included – without understanding the depth of the tradition,” he said. He advocated for restrictions such as an age limit or eligibility criteria to curb the rising numbers. “The core of the ritual is getting diluted and it’s also becoming dangerous,” Yashwant added. REFORMS AND ACCOUNTABILITY In the wake of the stampede, pressure is mounting on both the State administration and the temple committee to overhaul the festival's infrastructure and crowd management policies. Suggestions include widening access routes, reducing >Continued on P6 Govt swings into action; orders probe, constitutes panel, transfers officers THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The government on Saturday ordered a magisterial inquiry, constituted a high-powered fact-finding committee and transferred five senior officers including the District Collector and Superintendent of Police, over alleged lapses in crowd management at the Devi Lairai zatra. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who chaired a high-level meeting at the official residence Altinho, announced that the inquiry committee will be led by Revenue Secretary Sandip Jacques. The panel, directed to submit the report within 48 hours, also comprises members -- Deputy Inspector General of Police Varsha Sharma, Transport Director Pravimal Abhishek, and South Goa Superintendent of Police Tikam Singh Verma. “This kind of incident has never occurred before during the zatra, which is held every year. We must find out who was responsible. The team will gather information onsite, speak to the people as well as officers who were on `10 lakh each for families of victims PANAJI: The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of the six persons who lost their lives in the tragic stampede at Shirgao. Those who sustained major injuries will receive Rs 1 lakh each, based on hospital reports, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said. duty, and submit a detailed report. Appropriate action will be taken accordingly,” Sawant told reporters after the meeting. Sawant, in the presence of Chief Secretary V Candavelou, DGP Alok Kumar and other top brass, also directed the immediate transfer of North Goa Collector Sneha Gitte, North SP Akshat Kaushal, Deputy Collector Bhimnath Khorjuvekar, SDPO Bicholim Jivba Dalvi and PI Bicholim Dinesh Gadekar. “Deeply saddened by the >Continued on P6 Editorial Shirgao stampede is a tragedy of collective failure T he hallowed ground of the Devi Lairai Zatra at Shirgao was tragically transformed into a scene of unimaginable horror on Saturday, leaving six dead, some critical and scores injured. While the cause of the stampede is still being debated, the devastating turn points to a reckless breakdown in coordination and a lack of preparedness among those responsible for ensuring the safety of nearly a lakh devotees. This was not a random act of misfortune; it was a foreseeable tragedy born from a collective failure to learn from the past. It’s a failure to prioritize human safety. The sheer scale of the expected crowd demanded meticulous planning and a flawless system. We need to ask why, despite the known history of crowds at the zatra, there was such a glaring lack of preparedness. Bolstering police presence with over 1000 personnel was a necessary step, but it was rendered largely ineffective by inherent failures. How could authorities deploy drones for surveillance yet completely overlook the fundamental need for CCTV coverage? Why was a public address system, a lifeline in times of chaos, deemed unnecessary? The lack of basic crowd management infrastructure – barricading and directional stripes – left pilgrims directionless and vulnerable, further exacerbating the panic. And where were the volunteers, the vital boots on the ground, to guide and assist the surging crowds? The failure extends beyond the operational shortcomings. Why did the temple committee, police, and administration not engage in prior discussions specifically addressing these vulnerable areas? The lack of coordination was palpable and unforgivable. Furthermore, the State’s aspirations to declare the Zatra a state festival ring hollow in the face of this tragedy. Since this festival holds immense significance, why has the government not prioritized developing the necessary infrastructure at the site? Festivals are indeed about devotion, but ensuring the safety of those who come to worship should have been a top priority. Road widening and proper barricading are not luxuries, they are essential safeguards. And what was the disaster management team doing in the lead-up to and during the finale? This stampede is a stark reminder that neglecting vulnerabilities is a recipe for disaster. There is blood on the hands of all those responsible. It is a collective failure of the police, the government administration, and the temple committee. The fact-finding committee must delve deep into the systemic failures that allowed this tragedy to unfold. Lessons must be learned, accountability fixed, and concrete measures implemented to ensure that no sacred space in Goa is ever again marred by such tragedies. The faith of devotees deserves nothing less than a guarantee of their safety.
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