On the early morning of November 13, 1989, the nation witnessed a historic rescue operation at Mahabir Mine in the RaniGanj area of West Bengal. This operation is particularly notable for the heroism of one man: the late Sardar Jaswant Singh Gill. He embodied true bravery, single-handedly rescuing 65 lives from the dangerous coal mine despite putting his own life at risk. His fearless act serves as an enduring example of courage and makes him a true Indian hero. We need more individuals with such courage and bravery.
Late Sh. Jaswant Singh Gill was born on April 13 1940. An outstanding student in school, he joined ISM Dhanbad in 1961 and completed his mining in 1965. As he worked in Coal India Limited (CIL), what he didn’t see coming was a big challenge in his life that he was about to save the lives of his fellow workers with his brilliant engineering skills
Early on November 13, 1989, the miners at Mahabir Colliery in the Raniganj area of West Bengal were using blasts to break coal walls. Unfortunately, the wall of an adjacent underground water table cracked, causing gallons of water to flood their working area. This created a dangerous situation for the 232 workers at the site, and sadly, six lost their lives immediately. Those closest to the lift were able to escape quickly, but 65 miners remained trapped inside. Their bravery and courageous acts during this tragic event have been forever remembered in history.
If this would have happened in the age of social media, this story would have been followed by billions across the world, and his bravery and engineering skills would have been applauded
Our nation always needs courageous individuals like Jaswant Singh Gill. His act of bravery was recognized when he received the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak award from President Ramaswamy Venkataraman in 1991, exactly two years after the event. After retiring from his position as ED Safety and Rescue at BCCL HQs on April 30, 1998, Gill’s heroic actions were also noted in the World Book of Records as the “World’s largest coal mine rescue operation” and in the Limca Book of Records as a national record. Tragically, Jaswant Singh Gill passed away on November 26 of last year, but his courageous act will continue to inspire us all.
