Stops Where?

Between Us

- Pankaj Vohra

The unfortunate stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, which resulted in the death of at least 11 persons, has raised uncomfortable questions that need answers. On its part, the Karnataka government has suspended several top police officials, and some persons have been arrested and sent to judicial custody for their alleged role in the incident.

There is no doubt that there should be accountability when any such thing happens that results in the loss of precious human lives. However, for some odd reason, the issue of "where the buck stops" always remains unresolved.

On April 22nd, terrorists gunned down 25 persons in cold blood in Pahalgam, and the incident led to a war-like situation between India and Pakistan, where, during Operation Sindoor, multiple terror camps in the enemy territory were identified and bombed with precision.

The Indian armed forces, known for their valor the world over, lived up to the expectations of the common citizens. Nevertheless, multiple questions on how the hostilities ended and on certain aspects of the conflict continue to be asked in the public domain. There has been a demand for an all-party meeting to bring out the facts of the operation, but this has not been done so far.

In addition, what is pertinent is that, till this day, the authorities have not been able to identify or nab any of the terrorists who mercilessly killed unarmed tourists in the beautiful hill locale of Pahalgam. The massacre occurred despite claims that things were returning to normal and things in the sensitive border region were absolutely under control.