India moved a mountain within the nice Himalayan area, actually and metaphorically, to rescue 41 employees trapped deep inside a tunnel. The higher a part of the story – after they breathed contemporary air for the primary time on Tuesday night, after 17 lengthy days, none of them reported sick.

The nation had waited for the transformative second anxiously because the morning of November 12, when a portion of the underneath building Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi collapsed. This was an unprecedented disaster, one thing India, and even higher a part of the world had not seen.

The story ended with smiles, celebrations and congratulatory messages. Rescuing 41 employees shut in from all sides, deep inside a tunnel, was a humongous process, a Himalayan problem, fairly actually. Setbacks and sudden conditions have been aplenty however that made the grit of everybody concerned all of the extra robust. Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D, all targeted on the singular goal. Failure was not an choice. Some plan needed to succeed.

On Tuesday night, when the ambulance engines roared to life and their blue and crimson lights began flickering, it was like a second Diwali for 140 crore Indians.

The first employee emerged moments later. Within an hour, all 41 had been evacuated. The nation cheered them.

This second was, maybe, from the angle of common psyche, the most important manifestation of New India within the making. A self-confident nation, which cared for its folks, which might do something and the whole lot, even transfer a mighty mountain to maintain its folks alive and kicking.

The catch-phrase “Impossible is nothing” from a preferred sports activities model advert got here to thoughts.

What unfolded within the two-week rescue mission belied that extensively quoted adage – “too many cooks spoil the broth”. About 1,000 folks from a dozen businesses – NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), SDRF (State Disaster Response Force), BRO (Border Roads Organisation), ONGC, National Highways and Infrastructure Corporation, Tehri Hydro Development Corporation, Satlaj Vidyut Nigam, Rail Vikas Nigam, Trenchless Engineering, Indian Army, Indian Air Force – labored in tandem for 17 days. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and a central minister, Gen (Retd) VK Singh, together with senior officers have been stationed on the spot for days. Some main specialists have been flown in from overseas, prime officers of the Prime Minister’s Office have been always on the job. Prime Minister Narendra Modi monitored the operation day by day and issued instructions.

Men and machines have been flown in from totally different components of the nation. There by no means was any confusion, no inter-agencies battle. There was coordination and cooperation, one thing thus far remarkable. It underlined that robust political will and concern for the folks could make a giant distinction.

One could word that on this 12 months’s Independence Day speech PM Modi had talked eloquently concerning the contribution made by the Vishkarmas, Shramjivis or employees in nation constructing. He had lately introduced a particular scheme for them. Forty-one such Shramjivis/Vishwakarmas trapped within the tunnel offered a large problem for rescuers.

In near a decade, a rising India has is constructed a brand new persona for itself, for throughout the nation and out of doors. Atmanirbhar Bharat isn’t any hole slogan. It is manifested in several sectors referring to safety, infrastructure, innovation, economic system and welfare of its folks by way of truthful and clear final mile supply.

From a seeker India has turn into a giver to the world. In 9 and half years of the Modi regime, it has constructed a repute of first responder in a disaster state of affairs – be it by providing assist to the Global South throughout Covid, or within the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Nepal, or extra lately in Syria and Turkey, or in aftermath of a political disaster in Sri Lanka, or calling.

India would go away no stone unturned to evacuate its folks, howsoever huge or small numbers which may be.

– Months after Modi got here to energy on the Centre in 2014, India safely evacuated Christian priest Father Alexis Prem Kumar, who had been kidnapped in Afghanistan eight months beforehand.

– The newest was Operation Ajay, when India evacuated Indians from Israel and Gaza amidst essentially the most deadly conditions.

– Earlier this 12 months, Operation Kaveri was launched to evacuate round 2,500 Indians stranded in Sudan.

– Operation Ganga was launched in 2022 to evacuate Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine when its battle towards Russia erupted.

– Operation Devi Shakti was launched in 2021 to carry again Indian from Afghanistan after the Americans left Kabul and Taliban took management.

– Operation Samudra Setu, a naval operation, was launched in 2020 after Covid broke out to carry again Indian residents from abroad. 

– Through operation Vande Bharat 2020, lakhs of Indians have been introduced again from overseas international locations amid Covid lockdowns.

– Operation Nistar in 2018 was initiated after a extreme cyclonic storm wreaked havoc round Socotra Island in Yemen. Indian Navy evacuated 38 Indians.

– In 2016 round 250 Indians have been introduced residence after Belgium was hit by terrorist strikes.

– In 2016 Operation Sankat Mochan was launched to evacuate Indians amid South Sudanese Civil War.

The Silkyara tunnel evacuation is a narrative of India’s new discovered confidence within the final decade, its nice strides and novel readability of imaginative and prescient, dedication, coverage implementation and robust political will to take proper calls in hardest of conditions.

(Sanjay Singh is a senior journalist based mostly in Delhi)

Disclaimer: These are the private opinions of the writer.