India, Oct. 19 -- A mass, public celebration that UNESCO deems intangible cultural heritage for humanity, Kolkata's Durga Puja, quite like the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, is also an administrative challenge with few parallels - millions throng the streets in one of India's most densely populated cities, walking from one pandal to another; temporary structures of all kinds come up; and revelry rises to a new crescendo. All this makes it imperative that the authorities (civic and police), the organisers, and civil society participants ensure devotion doesn't end in disaster. This backdrop makes the stampede on Saturday evening at the Chor Bagan puja, one of the oldest pujas in Kolkata, seem like a failure on multiple levels.

At least three fac...