Silkyara ordeal: prayers bring hope
Shishir Prashant
PrashantNews
With the Silkyara rescue operation hitting a new roadblock, most of the family members of the 41 trapped workers inside the blocked tunnel in Uttarakhand are virtually caught between hope and despair.
Ever since the rescue operation began, it has been a long fretful wait as the family members are also relying on prayers for the safe return of the workers from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakashi district where they are trapped since November 12.
Even the nearby villagers at SIlkyara are worried about the safety and well being of these workers. They are performing all kinds of religious rituals to invoke the local deity Baukhnag whom they believed was angry after its temple was removed from the Silkyara tunnel side during its construction.
Priests have been holding regular prayers at a new make-shift new temple which was recently established near the tunnel. Local villages also took out a palanquin procession carrying the Baukhnag deity near the tunnel. They sang jaggars, a form of an ancestor spirit worship widely practiced in the hills of Garhwal and Kumaon. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also performed prayers at this Baukhnag temple.
For Akash, the only glimmer of hope to know the condition of his father Gabar Singh Negi, who is trapped inside the tunnel, is walkie-talkie. Akash has talked to his father many times since the ordeal began. “We are praying for his safety,” said Akash. Every time before talking to his father, Akash holds prayers.
Prof Arnold Dix, an expert from Australia, who is also helping the rescuers in the operation, also held prayers at Baba Baukhnag temple.
After the rescue operation faced fresh obstacles, the Chief Minister on Saturday said all options to reach 41 trapped workers inside the tunnel were being explored. Work on the vertical drilling from Silkyara tunnel top has also begun. “Our main priority is to bring all the trapped workers safely. All the other queries are secondary this time,” Dhami said.
Dhami said the auger machine which was drilling the debris has been damaged after it hit some girder or steel rod. The machine is now being withdrawn from the tunnel. After withdrawing the machine from the tunnel, the manual drilling would also begin. A plasma cutter is being airlifted from Hyderabad to support the cutting work.
“I have just talked to the trapped workers like Gabar Singh and Sabha Ahmed. They are safe and in good condition,” he said. They all said they were feeling alright and getting food, water and medicines regularly. Ends