What should’ve been a night of joy turned into a tragedy.
As Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans gathered to celebrate the team’s historic IPL win, chaos erupted. In the massive crowd near Cubbon Park, Bengaluru, a stampede broke out — leaving 11 people dead and more than 50 injured. All for a glimpse of a trophy… and a moment of glory.
But at what cost?
No Crowd Control, No Planning — Just Hype?
How does something like this even happen? With an event this huge, you’d expect serious coordination. Barricades. Medical teams. Emergency exits. But from eyewitness accounts, the area was overcrowded, under-policed, and lacking basic crowd management.
People were crushed. Children separated from parents. And all anyone could hear were screams lost in the roar of celebration.
Celebration or Carelessness?
This wasn’t a riot. It wasn’t a protest. It was a cricket celebration. And yet — it turned deadly. How does a country of 1.4 billion, with so much pride in its cricket culture, fail to protect its own people at such a moment?
A System That Waits for Tragedy
Why do we always act after people die?
Why are there no proper safety protocols when we know crowds in India can swell by the thousands in minutes?
Why are fans left to fend for themselves while organizers, authorities, and influencers chase clout and TV footage?
These Were Lives — Not Just Numbers
Eleven people didn’t just “die.” They had names. Families. Dreams. They came out to cheer for their team. They never made it home.
And now, we’re left asking:
Is a trophy worth more than a life in this country?
