Hathras Stampede: Who is Bhole Baba? His Journey to Becoming Narayan Sakar Hari

A stampede during Bhole Baba’s ‘satsang’ in Hathras on Tuesday, July 2, resulted in a devastating loss of life, with about 87 people tragically killed and over 100 others injured. The incident occurred during the culmination of the religious gathering at Phulrai village of Sikanda Rau police station area in Uttar Pradesh.

Bhole Baba, also known as Narayan Sakar Hari, whose real name is Suraj Pal, is a former government employee turned spiritual leader with a significant following across UP and neighboring states. During his sermons, he claimed that he had previously worked in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and also served in the Uttar Pradesh Police, asserting that he retired from service and then became a spiritual leader. He hails from Bahadur Nagari village in Patiyali tehsil of Etah.

He quit his government job 26 years ago and began delivering religious sermons in various villages and towns across Uttar Pradesh. He had initiated his sermons during his tenure and later resigned and established an ashram in Patiyali. Bhole Baba has millions of followers across the country, including Western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi.

The stampede reportedly occurred when devotees rushed to seek blessings from Bhole Baba after his sermon concluded on Tuesday afternoon, leading to chaos and tragic consequences.

Expressing profound grief over the accident, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the families of each deceased person and Rs 50,000 for the injured. He is closely monitoring the situation and has dispatched two ministers, the Chief Secretary, and the Director General of Police to the site. Additionally, an investigative team led by ADG Agra and the Commissioner of Aligarh has been tasked to probe the causes behind the stampede.

Authorities have confirmed that an FIR will be filed against the organisers of the event, highlighting inadequate arrangements despite prior permission. Posters in Hathras attributed to the “Manav Mangal Milan Sadbhavana Samagam Samiti” bear the names of several organisers involved in the program.

The state government is gearing up for substantial action in the aftermath of this unfortunate incident, aiming to ascertain accountability and prevent such tragedies in the future.