▁ 4 0 - day ▁festival , ▁many ▁leading ▁polit icians ▁had ▁visited ▁the ▁city ▁during ▁the ▁event . ▁Comp ounding ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁crowd ▁control ▁measures ▁was ▁not ▁just ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁polit icians , ▁but ▁also ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁G anges ▁River ▁had ▁changed ▁course ▁and ▁moved ▁in ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁Bund ▁( emb ank ment ) ▁and ▁the ▁city , ▁reducing ▁the ▁available ▁space ▁of ▁the ▁temporary ▁K umb h ▁town ship ▁and ▁restrict ing ▁movement ▁of ▁the ▁people . ▁Ult imately ▁what ▁triggered ▁the ▁tra ged y ▁was ▁that ▁a ▁sur ge ▁of ▁the ▁crowd ▁broke ▁through ▁the ▁bar riers ▁separ ating ▁them ▁from ▁a ▁process ion ▁of ▁sad hus ▁and ▁holy ▁men ▁of ▁various ▁ak har as , ▁resulting ▁in ▁a ▁stamp ede . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁event , ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁J aw ah ar ▁L al ▁Ne h ru ▁suggested ▁that ▁polit icians ▁and ▁VI P s ▁should ▁ref rain ▁from ▁visit ing ▁the ▁M ela , ▁who ▁were ▁all ▁but ▁ex on er ated ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁any ▁wrong do ing ▁after ▁an ▁inqu iry . ▁Not ▁a ▁single ▁ru pe e ▁of ▁compens ation ▁was ▁paid ▁to ▁the ▁vict ims ' ▁families . ▁The ▁jud icial ▁inqu iry ▁commission , ▁set ▁up ▁after ▁what ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁worst ▁stamp edes ▁in ▁India ' s ▁history , ▁was ▁head ed ▁by ▁Justice ▁Kam ala ▁Kant ▁Ver ma , ▁and ▁its ▁recommend ations ▁became ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁better ▁management