As friends and families mourned the passing of their loved ones who perished in the Shanghai New Year's Eve stampede, the Chinese government did not allow time for tears as they dragged away anyone who cried out emotionally.

Relatives of the 36 people killed in the stampede wailed or staggered when they visited the disaster site Tuesday for the seventh-day commemoration that is a revered ritual in China.

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However, the families were only given five minutes to stay at their site and acknowledge the emotions running rampant within them. The visits were tightly managed.

The government's strict arrangements show how much they need to keep control over the disaster's aftermath and prevent distraught relatives from banding together into critical groups. They fear that these groups may draw sympathy and incite public calls for greater accountability on the matter.

Zhao Chu, a Shanghai-based independent commentator, said that such a major public safety incident can tug the heartstrings of the public.

"...the acts and words by victims' relatives can make the public sentiments swing, making it a key task for authorities to control the families, limiting their contacts with each other or with the media," he said.

He continues by saying that the different families, each struck with the same tragedy, have emotions and sentiments that resonate with one another. It is only natural that they would want to band together to take collective actions.

These actions could mean the authorities losing control over social sentiments.

Control for authorities comes at the expense of the victims' families.

Zhao says that while the method is brusque as it prevent them from resorting to law and to the media, in a positive way the method can also alleviate the shock to the public.

The New Year's Eve stampede included three dozen people, including a 12-year old boy. They were trampled and asphyxiated amid a crowd numbering hundreds of thousands.

Last Tuesday, Chinese state media reported that national authorities as well as governments in Shanghai and Beijing are planning to tighten crowd controls during holiday events and other mass gatherings.

TagsNew Year's Eve stampede, Shanghai stampede