Hats off Keyhole Miners

 Hats off Keyhole Miners

Collapse of under construction tunnel in Uttarakhand could not have come at a worse time. While India was celebrating Diwali the disaster struck and celebration quickly turned into deep anguish. That the visual media prioritized World Cup Cricket and the Assembly Election over the disaster and rescue efforts is a reflection of times we live in. Rescue efforts continued unhindered nonetheless.

This was not the first disaster India has seen. Badalaghat accident in 1981 killed hundreds of passengers when the train carrying them plunged into Bagamati River. India’s worst mining disaster in 1975 in Chasnala in Dhanbad killed nearly 375 miners. Disasters in construction, mining, road and rail accidents are so frequent that citizens often look at the casualty figures only and forget. Yet what was different this time? Availability of NDRF (created in 2005) is one such asset. Even more important than that is the place of disaster, availability of multiple technical, technological and logistical resources. Yet the task was not easy is borne out of the fact that the rescue took good seventeen days! Only redeeming fact, and also the cause of celebration is that not 1 life was lost! That is a huge success. Thus, all those involved in the rescue efforts, including the political leadership deserve kudos. However, it is the keyhole miners who take the cake. Success of basic methods finally where everyone else failed to achieve breakthrough reminds me of the couplet of Rahim:

रहिमन देखि बड़ेन को लघु न दीजिए डार

जहाँ काम आवे सूई कहाँ करे तलवार

Along with everyone else the heroes, the Miners deserve not only National gratitude but also suitable reward in kind.