Horrors Of Hero Worship: On Stampede Situation, Ideals & Idols

Public awakening a must in India in the matter of deciding whom to follow and fight for. Hero Worship is emotional slavery in disguise.

2025 tried giving us lessons on the deadly consequences of hero worship. Be it the June 4 Chinnaswamy catastrophe, which left 11 people dead, or the stampede in Karnataka at actor-politician Vijay’s rally where 39 people lost their lives, we have witnessed enough incidents, all having the same ultimate cause. Last year, similar cases were seen, such as the Sandhya Theatre stampede case, on account of which actor Allu Arjun got booked two days ago.

There is no denial of the fact that a stampede is a result of poor crowd management and panic situations. However, gatherings in unhealthy numbers remain the first fallen block. The loss isn’t just limited to death and injury. Such blind faith in personalities leaves us with a far more harmful long-term problem.

Millions Today Feel Betrayed…

Take the recent example of Noam Chomsky, a well-known scholar, an acclaimed writer, and a highly regarded philosopher, who turned out to be associated with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted child sex offender. Chomsky, among his readers and followers, is famous for fueling an intellectual uprising against industry tactics and socio-economic evils. News of him being in the Epstein files was a severe stab for those who borrowed knowledge and ideas from him. Though him being in a photo with Epstein does not place him on an equally low ground as Epstein. But the fact that he was aware of Epstein’s exposé and still didn’t step back must not be ignored either.

A Problem Persistent in India

Any instance of hero worship is meant to turn problematic. It is a phenomenon of emotional slavery in disguise, which will eventually be suffocating either physically or psychologically. It begins with idolization and reaches a point where, regardless of the extremity of someone’s acts, their status is protected and justified. Our country is an old patient of this disease. The case of rape convict Asaram is a prime example. A person convicted of such a heinous crime is worshipped by individuals of the very community he exploited.

As followers, fans, and audiences, the masses must uphold some skepticism while cheering and clashing with others for their stars on the internet. It’s high time we start viewing celebrities as humans. Stars and leaders can go wrong regardless of the number of their social media followers. Artists can fail on ethics while excelling at aesthetics. Hence, it’s essential to add a layer of scrutiny while admiring their art.