Mission Raniganj: How real-life hero Jaswant Singh Gill saved the lives of 65 miners

Akshay Kumar, known for his roles in films like Mission Mangal and Kesari, recently took on a new mission in his latest movie, Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue. The film, based on the real-life story of mining expert Jaswant Singh Gill, who played a pivotal role in a rescue mission, hit theatres on October 5. After the mission, Gill received Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak from the then-President of India, Ramaswamy Venkatraman.

What was the rescue mission about? Why was it important and why do people celebrate Gill after the mission? Here's everything you need to know about the rescue mission and the man behind it.

3 things you need to know

• Mission Raniganj: The Great Indian Rescue has officially been renamed Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue.
   
• Mission Raniganj is based on India's first coal mine rescue mission carried out in Raniganj, West Bengal. 
   
• The film also stars Parineeti Chopra. This was her first release after her marriage to Raghav Chadha.

Who was Jaswant Singh Gill?

Jaswant Singh Gill, born in Amritsar in 1940 began his schooling at Khalsa School. He later studied BSc (non-medical) at Khalsa College in Amritsar and then took admission in the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad. After completing his education, he joined Coal India Limited in 1973 and kept growing in ranks from 1-9 throughout his tenure. 25 years later, he retired as Engineer-in-chief at Coal India Limited in 1998. However, the most significant event in his career was the rescue mission at the Mahabir Colliery in Raniganj, West Bengal.

What is Mahavir Colliery's rescue mission?

In November 1989, tragedy struck when 232 miners were working in the mine during the night shift. Their task was to excavate coal using explosive methods in the rise-most area of the mine with a depth of 320 feet. However, tragedy struck at around 4 a.m. when an unexpected deluge of water inundated the mine and it got flooded.

The situation was dire, with limited oxygen and the constant threat of the mine collapsing.

The 161 miners who were near the lifts in the pit were rescued immediately, but 71 others were stranded far away from the exits. There was a telephone line connecting them to the surface, and it was through this phone that they signalled for help. They sent a message that 65 miners had taken a shelter in a higher part of the mine, but six of them were still missing.

In response, authorities formed four teams to rescue the trapped miners. Three teams tried different methods, like using pumps to remove water, but it didn't work well. The water kept coming back into the mine, and there wasn't enough air. The mine could collapse at any moment.

Then, a senior engineer Jaswant Singh Gill, part of the fourth team, had a brilliant idea. He designed a special steel capsule, 7 feet tall and 22 inches wide, to rescue the miners. This capsule would be lowered into the mine through a new hole, bringing the miners up one by one.

In an earlier interview with The Tribune, Gill's son Sarpreet Singh Gill said, "My father started to innovate on a theoretical idea that had never been put to practical use. It involved fabricating a steel capsule about 7 feet high and 22 inches in diameter, creating a new borehole to lower the capsule into the mine, and taking out the miners, one by one."

In just 72 hours, they built the capsule. They tested it, and on November 16, at 2:30 a.m., the rescue mission began. Gill insisted on going down into the mine himself. After some initial doubts from the officials, he entered the capsule and began the rescue mission. It took him six hours to bring all 65 miners safely to the surface, one by one. Initially, each trip in the capsule took 15 minutes, but they later used a 12-ton crane to speed things up, reducing the time to just 3 minutes.

Around 20,000 people gathered in Raniganj to watch the rescue. When Gill emerged from the capsule after saving everyone, the crowd hailed him as a hero. They lifted him on their shoulders and put garlands around his neck to celebrate his bravery.

“It took me six hours to bring up the 65 miners one by one and last of all, when I emerged from the capsule, people went mad with joy,” Gill told The Tribune.

How was Gill rewarded for his brave act?

In recognition of his remarkable act of bravery, Coal India Ltd declared November 16 as 'Rescue Day' and the Limca Book of Records recognised this operation as a national record in coal mining history. Moreover, Gill received the highest civilian bravery award, the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, from then-president Ramaswamy Venkataraman in 1991.

Jaswant Singh Gill continued with his social welfare work until his passing in 2019, leaving behind a legacy of courage and heroism in the face of adversity.