I Assam
In an Assam village, there was a burst of happiness on Tuesday when two of its people, Ram Prasad Narzary and Sanjay Basumatary, were rescued from a tunnel in Uttarkashi. The village, Ramfalbil in Kokrajhar, had been waiting and hoping for good news for over two weeks. The tunnel collapse happened more than 2,000 km away from their village.
Sanjay Basumatary's brother, Rocket, who also worked in the tunnel but wasn't trapped because he was on a different shift, helped in the rescue. Meanwhile, Ram Prasad Narzary had taken the tunnel job seven months ago due to financial problems. His family was struggling, and he wanted to make sure his daughter could keep studying in a private school.
Many people from Ramfalbil work far from home because there aren't many jobs in the village. Even though there's no more Bodo insurgency, the Bodoland Territorial Region hasn't created enough jobs for the young people there.
Sanjay's family is relieved that his brother Rocket was with him during this time. Ram Prasad's brother Ramen had also gone to Uttarkashi hoping for their rescue. The local government in Kokrajhar kept in touch with the authorities in Uttarkashi and kept the families updated. The Assam Chief Minister's office is also working with the Uttarakhand government to bring the rescued workers back home.
The Kokrajhar District Commissioner, Pradeep Kumar Dwivedi, has visited the homes of the trapped workers. This rescue has brought a lot of relief and joy to the village.
