India, June 29 -- This year has been particularly bad for crowd management in India. At least four major incidents have been widely reported: Kumbh Mela (January 29), New Delhi Railway Station (February 15), Lairai Jatra festival in Shirgaon, Goa (May 3), and the most recent, Royal Challenger Bangalore's (RCB) victory celebration in Bangalore (June 4), in which people have died due to overcrowding.

Given our large population, large crowds are common in India, especially in religious events. For example, on festivals, thousands of people routinely gather in temples. Yet, stampedes rarely occur. Usually, it is due to good luck, and sometimes, it is due to good planning. Large number of people in an enclosed space is not unlike a tinderbox:...