India, June 6 -- The stampede near Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, which claimed the lives of 11 young people, most of them under 30, stands as one of the city's most heartbreaking and wholly avoidable tragedies in recent memory. Known once as the "Pensioner's Paradise," Bengaluru now finds itself in national headlines for reasons both mundane and tragic. But this - a stampede linked to a cricket celebration - is something the city was neither prepared for nor accustomed to.

When Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally lifted their maiden IPL trophy after 18 years, it was a moment of uncontainable joy for fans. The team's signature chant, "Ee Sala Cup Namde", had finally turned into reality.

The events unfolded within less ...