Munna Quraishi from Delhi and his team members who rescued the 41 workers trapped in an under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand for three weeks, refused to accept monetary compensation for the operation, saying the workers are their countrymen.
India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI—Twenty-nine-year old Munna Quraishi is being hailed as a hero in the operation that rescued the 41 workers trapped in an under-construction tunnel in Silkyara in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand on Tuesday.
When all the machines failed, manual drilling by ‘rat-hole miners’ like Munna succeeded in bringing out the workers who were trapped since November 12.
Munna Quraishi’s team was assigned the task of clearing the twelve-meter debris. He was one of the dozen ‘rat-hole miners’ who were brought to the tunnel site from Delhi.
The rat-hole miners phrase is used for those those who dig narrow pits into the ground just large enough for one person to descend and collect coal from the mine. However, this technique is illegal as it is dangerous but in the end this worked for the trapped workers.
The forty-one migrant workers were from eight states. They were working on the night shift digging the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel.
A resident of Dehil’s Rajiv Nagar, Munna Quraishi was the first rescuer to meet the 41 trapped workers.
Quraishi works in a company of ‘rat-hole miners’. His company works to clear the sewer and water lines.
Quraishi and his team cleared the debris with their hands and paved the way to bring out the trapped workers.
Munna Quraishi said that he removed the last rock and saw the trapped 41 workers on Tuesday. He said, “They hugged me, clapped and thanked me.”
Munna said that they had worked continuously for 24 hours to remove the debris to reach the workers. He kept digging inside a 2.6-foot-wide steel pipe.
He said, “I cannot express my happiness. I have done this for my fellow workers. I cannot forget the respect my whole life they have given us.”
Wakeel Hassan was the team leader for the rat-hole mining team. He said that they had decided to work 24×7 and not leave till they brought all of them out. He said that two ‘rat-hole miners’ were digging in the pipe while four were clearing the debris.
Apart from Munna Quraishi, other team members were Feroze Quraishi, Monu, Rashid, Irshad and Nasir.
According to The Times of India, the miners who work for the Delhi-based private company ‘Rockwell’, undertook the operation under the supervision of the Indian Army.
Team leader Wakeel Hassan told TOI that they had past experience of excavating small tunnels for laying long sewers and water pipelines but nothing of this scale.
He said they worked in Delhi, Rajasthan, UP and other states. This was their first encounter with a rescue operation. The construction company Navyug, which is building the 4.5 kilometers-long Silkyara-Barkot Tunnel had called Wakeel Hassan for this job. He revealed they refused to accept money for this operation as it was for their ‘fellow countrymen.’
It seems tunnel incident is overrated by the media.
Hard to digest..for some
Service to humanity is service to Gof
Yeah true they weren’t our parents otherwise we whould have realized the actual pain!!!
How come the Sang Parivaar unable to recognized RAT HOLE MINORS by their dress and appearances before engaging them for the task ????????
I also have doubt if they’re all Sang Parivaar members, what could have been the trapped brothers ?????
[…] टीम के 12 सदस्यों ने जान बचाने के बदले रुपए लेने से इनकार कर दिया है। ऐसा करके उन्होंने […]
Aakhir ek baar fir insaan hi kaam aaye , Machine nahi.
Please do believe on insaan and insaaniyat, not on machine’s. Thanks.
Really happy that the final leg of the rescue has been done by a team of underrated manual labourers who are called by an unsavoury term.Hats off to them and everyone else in the team.
Jai Hind ❤️
Hats off to Rat Hole minors. They are real hero, Thay must be awarded{not monetary} but National level award
Huge respect to Wakeel Hassan and team. Humbled by their simplicity and dedication to work. Netas please learn from them!
Yes happy risk takers.. Our county will keep remember you all rat hole veers
It’s a irony of our country that people like Philip try to fix their political agenda in every topics. The rescue mission was conducted by so many agencies and even some international experts were involved. The important achievement is that all workers have been rescued safely. Kudos to the entire team who worked day and night and rescued all workers safely out.
Tunnel incident was one of its kind and all the participants of the rescue oparation deserve full appreciation from one and all.
Great job done by thes rat hole miners. They have saved 41 lives sacrificing their lives. No compensation is enough for them.I wish they should be awarded by national award like Padma Shri or something else or the Tunnel can be named in their respect.
Great thinking by the miners. Paying money for work done alone is not what is needed. Appreciation is need of the hour.
Hats off to the team for rescuing the 41 trapped workers. We are proud of the team.
May God bless them! What a display of humanity by a team and a man whose community has been so viciously attacked by the Uttrakhand state.
Hamarey Bhai Hain!
God Bless Them.
When all claims to advanced technology failed to rescue the trapped construction workers, these ‘lowly’ rat miners were called in. They have done their job admirably well and fast, considering the restrictions. Be it that they were supervised by army engineers, but still the urge and daring to work in narrow spaces, overcoming the fear of what might happen if the tunnel collapses again, has to be appreciated by all, especially the government.
There is a medal awarded to civilians for displaying exemplary courage and valour in extraordinary situations. Are these people worthy of that? I think yes they are. Absolutely.
We have people in this country with crores of wealth but still that hunger for money exists, but you people were offered compensation but you refused because that help was to rescue people who were trapped,what a example of humanity
By their names (I feel) all of them are Non-Hindus. They confessed thir inner- convictions-that every & all trapped are their own countrymen/ Indians. Are these rescuers to be flushed out; into Pakistan, Bangladesh?
This article conveys the message that people of all religions should live in harmony . Who and how someone can be of help , we don’t know…
So no comments should come from hinduwaadi groups about other religion people becoz basic necessities are more important than their thought process. In the above situation life was more important.
Great to hear the simple souls of Rat hole Digging Minors.Being an Humane They Proved their Loyalty n Sincerity and their true Patriotism or the country they are for. Their Generosity Proves the World They are not for Money.
Ultimately the first credit shall go to the rat hole miners for their courage and
humanitarian deed and the experts who cut and removed auger machine parts from the tunnel.
GRK RAO
There were silent prayers going on in most of the houses for this trapped workers. Munna Quershi and his team deserve Bharat Ratna award. Technology and machined failed in front of them. Just saying ‘Thank you’ and forgetting them is not right. Their contribution should last forever I the minds of Indians.
Central Government should gift a house to each of the rat miners who helped save 41 lives.
Nice gesture
Nice work done by these people. Hatts of to all
Your bigotry is matched only by your stupidity. The issue on hand was saving the 41 lives trapped inside. Where did the Sangh and Muslim factor come in from?
Grow up man!
Thank God, the workers came out alive or otherwise Munna, Wakeel and their team would have been branded ‘jihaadists, terrorists etc etc.or it could have been termed it a conspiracy
Hatts off to the labour’s sacrificing their hard earned money towards the fellow citizen workers……religion a part but….lots of moral to be learned by these BPL people ….a strong message they’ve thrown on so called multi billionaires community.
Salute ✋
It’s shows their rescue of 41 Trapped miners is more rewarding and fulfilling than money or any other accolades yet their courage and bravery has to be rewarded with Galentry/ Padma Awards. That will be Nation’s salute to the Rat Miners. Trapped victims too to be honoured for the endurance inside the tunnel for 17 days and paid special leave for 6 months to overcome the shock.
Real Heroes , very proud of them, God bless them with health and happiness.
Shabbash Munna. Well done.
Great job! Sometimes, sense works better than might, in some places.
Desi techniques, brains with common “sense” and skills work better than videsi techniques, display and show off but for corruption as much as substituting places which ought to be filled with intelligence and intelligentsia, with politicians hutch puppies and money launderers buddies, turning them fools paradises, a scenario predominantly being encouraged for the past few decades by people in power across nations.
…..into…. fools paradises…
We (as a nation) better grow Qualitatively than Quantitatively, in many aspects!
Munna Quareshi and team be remembered for ever. It is not one life but 41 life’s they saved. They are the good Samaritans send by God. Let us nurture SECULARISM. JAI HIND.
For a normal human being it’s terrifying by getting claustrophobic while being in a narrow pipe 100 meters away from the opening. These are real human beings who refused to get compensated for doing such a life saving act, especially when they make their living from work similar to this, but less riskier.. the people being in power by creating enmity between communities must make a note of these selfless real human beings whom those corrupt politicians want them to be addressed as enemies of India..
Kudos to Munna and his Men. They came with a mission and succeeded. To cap it all, they refused to accept payment. They had shown Money is not everything. The whole Country is indebted to them. Government should give them 1 Lakh each for their grit and determination.
Our Industrialists , who are rich , should contribute to these men and Government Of India by Notification should allow the reduction of the amount given as gratis , from Taxable Income. Would they do it?.
K.V.Menon, Pune
They are real hero of our country. Salute to you
Sportsmen get huge amounts of money for their talent saving lives is much larger by any standards, these folks deserve monetary appreciation for service to humanity regardless of caste,language or religion hope our government recognizes that merit and due appreciation is granted.
The selfless work done by Munna and his team (rat diggers) to save the lives of 41 workers trapped in the tunnel is holier than than pujas and homas offered by holy men in temples.This event should be an eye opener to some of our political leaders( we know who) who spit venom against a particular religion.Even though the team declined to accept remuneration for their noble work, it would be in the fitness of things if the Central Govt. confer on them awards and honour them publicly.There are many philanthropic individuals and industrial houses who can offer them regular jobs in their factories.
Hats off for the rat miners team. Truly speaking their courage and effort resulted the proud moment. There is no words for their respect for trapped workers and refusing monetary compensation. True Indians and their emotions beyond cast religion. This sense is required from all Indians. Bande Mataram – Jai Hind!!!