Major fire broke out in Kollam in Kerala and the devotees were made to run for cover in the blast that followed. The life of human beings is in danger and it is not advisable to participate in such temple festivals endangering our precious life. After the Sabarimala stampede incident the Government of Kerala had not passed strict strictures to avoid such serious mishaps. In the history of Kerala the temple festivals give loopholes for stampede and fire accidents and it is time to learn from experience. In Mumbai, the Shanmukhananda Fine Arts and Sangeetha Sabha stopped lighting auspicious oil lamps before the start of the various programmes after a major fire engulfed the auditorium and the whole hall was rebuilt with the help of music lovers all over the country. It is time to follow strict guidelines in future and avoid major fire of this nature. Prevention is better than cure in case of fire related accidents and the temple authorities should not throw caution to wind and face such an enormous calamity. It was indeed a black day in Kerala.
S. Abhishek Ramaswamy
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
