Rethinking safety in Kerala's public spaces

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One of the most heartening visuals of the New Year was that of Uma Thomas, a member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, recovering splendidly from a man-made disaster.
A video shows her engaging in a warm conversation with the Chief Minister and moving around the hospital room with assistance from the staff, offering a powerful glimpse of resilience and hope.
A few weeks ago, the widely circulated footage of Uma Thomas falling from a makeshift stage nearly 20 feet high at Kochi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium during a mega Bharatanatyam recital was profoundly shocking and raised many questions.
Who should be held accountable for such an unintentional yet severe act of negligence? Beyond assigning blame, the incident prompts a deeper sociological inquiry: Do such incidents point to some fundamental flaws within the Kerala society?
Disregard, by default
Among the various shared values and social norms of the so-called ‘socially advanced’ Malayalis, one that stands out remarkably is a casual disregard for essential safety precautions in public spaces. Very few are ever bothered by the fact that multipurpose sports complexes, high-rise buildings, shopping malls, and convention centres are prone to various types of disasters.
A cruel joke would be that the risk of these disasters is 'democratic.' No one, regardless of their political or economic position, is immune to such risks inherent in Kerala's society.
VIPs, including Minister Saji Cherian and Hibi Eden MP, who attended the program, were equally vulnerable to the disaster that befell Uma Thomas. The way Uma Thomas was handled following the tragedy, being taken to the ambulance without the needed precautions, is another point of concern.

Reflecting on this, the Kerala High Court, while reviewing the case against the organizers, remarked with anguish: “A person with spinal injuries was casually carried away without even a stretcher. This is a dismal state of affairs”.
Unfortunately, the lack of standardised emergency care in Kerala leaves many accident victims permanently paralyzed, as they are not transported on a stretcher and their necks not stabilised with a cervical collar. Do these reflect signs of a society in urgent need of improving its shared values and norms regarding public safety?
Insights from Sociology
Shared values and norms form the foundation of any society, shaping its collective behaviour and actions. While some of these values are apparent, others work quietly beneath the surface, silently binding individuals together like an ‘invisible glue’.
A road trip in Kerala can reveal much about the collective behaviour of its people. While many traffic rules related to safety, such as seat belts and helmets, are stringently enforced, there is a noticeable lack of discipline—erratic driving, discourtesy, and little concern for the safety of fellow passengers. Los Angeles-based sociologist Sally Raskoff once suggested that road traffic, in many ways, serves as a metaphor for society.
In Kerala, moments of outrage often follow tragic incidents such as road accidents or stampedes, yet they rarely result in lasting behavioural changes among the public. Life quickly returns to normal after a public safety failure, with minimal effort to address the root causes. This reflects a societal norm where convenience takes precedence over safety, and rules and regulations are often regarded as flexible or easily ignored.
A key principle in sociology is that changes to social norms and values tend to be slow and gradual, as they are firmly rooted in society.
'If a societal norm is deeply ingrained, it can be resistant to change – even if the change is positive. People might cling to the way things have always been,' as quoted from Reframe, an academic blog partnered with Harvard and Emory universities.
What can be done?
The manner in which Kerala society responded to the Uma Thomas incident raises serious concerns. The law and order machinery merely interpreted the tragedy involving the MLA as an 'installation failure' in safety arrangements. They specifically cited the lack of necessary spacing and the absence of barricades or front railings on the temporary stage constructed above the gallery.
It’s important to remember that disaster mitigation, in this case, isn’t just about erecting safety structures like barricades; it also requires a thorough assessment of the risks involved in using the sports stadium for a mega dance event.
Additionally, there is no single, comprehensive legal remedy for preventing man-made disasters. Risk mitigation is not solely about law enforcement but also about fostering a collective regard for safety measures.
Consider the stampede during the Tech Fest at Kochi's CUSAT in November 2023, which resulted in four deaths and left fifty injured. Despite the implementation of stringent legal measures against the organizers for their grave oversight, it is a tragic fact that not much has changed in Kerala to minimise the risk of future stampedes.
Developing comprehensive guidelines would be helpful and could eventually be codified into inspection checklists, ensuring that government inspections go beyond mere formalities.
For instance, Cornell University in New York has prepared a 27-item checklist for temporary stages, with specific headings for general condition, railings, stage components, and electrical requirements – a practical model worth emulating. Similarly, Australia’s Temporary Structures Hazards Guide provides detailed guidance on managing risks associated with temporary stages used in live entertainment and events. Implementing such guidelines is not always easy and often comes at the expense of practicality. Nevertheless, it would be a positive step forward.
Realisation matters
It’s high time Malayalis recognize that, despite the fanfare surrounding a progressive Kerala, they are living in a society where the assessment of safety risks and the implementation of preventive measures remain grossly inadequate.
The tragedy that struck Uma Thomas should not be seen as a mere accident but as a preventable man-made disaster. It serves as a grim reminder of the severe consequences of poor risk assessment, negligence, and the lack of adequate safety measures.
Such a realisation would be the first step – though a baby step, as it may seem – toward sparking a shift in Malayali values and norms regarding public safety. It has the potential to transform public spaces and meeting venues in Kerala into safer environments, driven by heightened awareness and a stronger sense of accountability.
(Social anthropologist and novelist Thomas Sajan and US-trained neurologist Titto Idicula, based in Norway, write on politics, culture, economy, and medicine.)