Another Mahakumbh Where Spiritualism and Humanism Mingled

Prayagraj also witnessed another Mahakumbh. The Mahakumbh of positive emotions. It poured out profusely, but it was hidden from the masses except on social media. The print media and the television channels gave it a go by. Though it was, sadly, a tragedy (stampede) which gave opportunities to people to prove that when humanity cries for saviours they would keep their faiths and prejudices borne of it aside and provide succour to those in need.

And they did prove it when the care taker of a masjid in the city widely opened the gates for Malti from Begusarai in Bihar who had escaped the stampede unhurt and was running helter-skelter along with thousands of her ilk for a space where she could feel that she had got a refuge for food and care before she could think of going to her native place after overcoming the shocks and nursing weary and mind back to normal.

Similarly, another masjid provided all the help that a human in crisis needs to survive to Ramdayal from Madhya Pradesh who was hurt in the stampede and had lost hope for life. Many of his relatives were found to be missing following the tragedy.

Another devotee, Hariram, from Rajasthan found himself inside the Jama masjid and a blanket spread over him to warm his body back to normal after he lost his consciousness and fell on the ground before the masjid.

There were thousands of Malties, Ramdayals and Harirams who Samaritans came forward to provide all the facilities–shelter, foods, clothes and medicines, and above all affection–that they needed when for a few hours there was none in the seeable distance to help them.

The tragedy was itself terrible but what happened thereafter was heart wrenching. The administration was nowhere to be seen near the spot. If ever they were found present, they were busy covering up the magnitude of the incident. No list of devotees who were missing after the stampede was provided. Information about helpline numbers was scarcely coming. 

They were busy fudging the death figures, managing the media and threatening those reporters who were not falling in line. To show that the situation had returned back to normal, in the noon after the tragedy, Akhadas were allowed to take holy dip. Ironically, flowers were rained over the devotees from helicopters to downplay the incident. Stampede victims were left to fend for themselves.

In the tragedy night, crores of people were spread over just about ten square kilometres. The highway was jam-packed with hundreds of vehicles carrying back the devotees to their native places stuck in it, and they had to spend the night and the next day on the roads.

Contrary to this post-stampede sad scenario, the city’s culture of brotherhood and camaraderie was in full bloom. No matter whether they sing the tunes the government wants them or choose their own, they proved that the culture is throbbing in their hearts.

Mobile repairing mechanic Mansur of Roshan Bagh, Nadeem Beg who runs a small business near the Jama masjid and juice vendor Nanhe Khan are among the thousands of Muslims in the city who held aloft the Sangam city culture (Ganga-Yamuni Tehjeeb). Khuldabad resident Afsar Mahmud said that Muslims were advised not to visit the mela but the mela came over to us.

According to reports published in Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar, Muslims set up free food camps in ten localities for the victims. And people of the community gave them shelters ten kilometres away from the mela at Khuldabad Sabzi Mandi, Bada Taziya Imambada, Himmatganj Dargah and Chowk Masjid. 

Further in the Muslim-dominated areas at Nakhas Kohna, Roshanbag, Himmatganj, Khuldabad, Ranimandi and Shahganj they opened their homes for the them and provided food, beds and all that they required.

Mansur told this reporter he got to know early in the morning about the incident but there was no information from the administration.  “Being a Muslim, I was scared and prayed that may it not turn out to be the handwork of any member of the community. I breathed a sigh of relief when it was reported that it was a stampede,” he said.

“When I saw the victims fleeing from the mela in thousands towards the Prayagraj Railway Station with fear writ large on their faces, we decided to help them.  We talked to the Imams of the masjids, and they readily opened the doors for them. About 25 thousand were sheltered at these masjids and provided blankets and quilts. Women and children were put up in individual homes. Lavatories were made accessible to women,” he recounts.

Mohammed Irshad of Bahadurganj said that they took proper care of these devotees as they were our guests in the city. Nadeem said that not only were they provided proper facilities, we also took care that while serving food nothing happened that hurt their religious sentiments. Cooks were hired out from the temples’ kitchens. Doctors also came forward to provide medical help to those who required it.

Nanhen Khan did the job of conveying the devotees to the shelters on his cycles. His friend Fazal did the same service, and at least helped 300 of them this way. Masud Ahmed, a teacher in the Chowk area, said that the community members did it selflessly so that the devotees took the message of humanism from the city to their native places.

A Marathi journalist devotee from Maharashtra, Sumukh Apte, who circumstantially was able to escape unhurt from the stampede, says it is exemplary the way Muslims in the city of cultural convergence helped the victims. He wondered why the television channels were not showing these humanitarian efforts on the part of the Muslim community.

The journalist, who is also fond of Hindi literature, concludes his remarks with the hope that when the devotees return back to their homes, the message of love they would take along would give a completely different picture from the hate blowing in society and good senses would on those who spread it.