When Spectacle Crowds Out Governance

The tragedy that unfolded at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium—where a celebration spiralled into a stampede—was synthetic, foreseeable and entirely self-inflicted.

- GURUCHARAN GOLLERKERI

The tragedy that unfolded at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium—where a celebration spiralled into a stampede—was synthetic, foreseeable and entirely self-inflicted. It was not a case of public enthusiasm gone awry; it was the culmination of a toxic brew of political theatre, administrative apathy and corporate vanity. It laid bare a deeper crisis: a collapse of institutional judgment and a contemptuous disregard for the sanctity of public life. The government's response—suspending the city police commissioner and other senior officers in haste—only served to expose the rot. Scapegoating of honest officers has become the easiest way to deflect accountability. This time, it crossed an ethical line.

When spectacle replaces governance, tragedy ensues. What exactly was the occasion for the grand felicitation? Royal Challengers Bengaluru—a private IPL franchise that, let us remind ourselves, had only won a trophy—was feted like a conquering army on the grand steps of the Vidhana Soudha, the symbol of Karnataka's democratic and constitutional dignity. With the governor, chief minister, deputy CM, and chief secretary playing hosts, it resembled a swearing-in ceremony, not a sports meet.