- Sunday, September 08, 2024
Negi taught his fellow colleagues yoga and meditation as they remained confined for more than 400 hours and ensured that they were physically and mentally active.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIA’S nervous wait to see the rescue of 41 workers who got trapped behind a collapsed under-construction tunnel in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand got over late on Tuesday (28) night when authorities pulled them out after executing manual drilling after modern machinery failed.
The workers, who hail from different states of the country, shared their experience in the ‘underground prison’ since November 12 when they got trapped and according to them, a senior member of the gang helped them stay calm during the entire ordeal. The man is Gabbar Singh Negi, who belongs to Uttarakhand and has the experience of surviving confinement on three occasions of tunnel collapse.
According to a report by India’s NDTV, Negi taught his fellow colleagues yoga and meditation as they remained confined for more than 400 hours and ensured that they were physically and mentally active. Also as the captain of a ship in danger, he told his fellow workers that he would be the last to come out of the tunnel.
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“‘I am senior-most… I will be the last to come out…’, this is what he told me,” Jaymal Singh Negi, his brother, told NDTV Wednesday (29) morning, hours after the rescue mission was completed and the workers were extensive medical check-ups to ensure they were fine. The rescued workers were flown to All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, in a Chinook helicopter of the Indian Air Force.
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“I am very happy… the family is very happy. Not just the family but the whole country… the whole country prayed for them. When they came out and we saw they were safe, we distributed sweets and garlands,” Jaymal, who had been at the site waiting for his brother and his colleagues to come out safe, told the Indian channel.
“I kept talking to him daily. First through the pipes they put into the ground but then with phones that they gave us. I advised my brother to do yoga. He said, ‘yes, we are all doing it’,” he added.
Besides Jaymal, Negi’s colleagues also praised him for the role he played to keep them safe and worry-free, which included playing board games such as chess and ludo. A psychiatrist who was at the site also told the Press Trust of India that the workers were playing “chor police” (thief and cop) to keep their spirits high. Another report said they also played cricket.
उत्तरकाशी में हमारे श्रमिक भाइयों के रेस्क्यू ऑपरेशन की सफलता हर किसी को भावुक कर देने वाली है।
टनल में जो साथी फंसे हुए थे, उनसे मैं कहना चाहता हूं कि आपका साहस और धैर्य हर किसी को प्रेरित कर रहा है। मैं आप सभी की कुशलता और उत्तम स्वास्थ्य की कामना करता हूं।
यह अत्यंत…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 28, 2023
Even prime minister Narendra Modi commended Negi for his leadership. The former, who spoke to the rescued workers over telephone on Tuesday night, told them, “It is a matter of happiness for me… I cannot express it in words. If something bad had happened… (I) can’t say how we would have taken that.”
Modi praised the workers and the rescue teams on Tuesday night after the mission’s success in a long post on X.
“I also salute the spirit of all the people associated with this rescue operation. Their bravery and determination have given new life to our labor brothers. Everyone involved in this mission has set an amazing example of humanity and teamwork,” he said.
