Wakeel Hasan, one of the rat miners during the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operations whose house was razed during a demolition drive of the Delhi Development Authority in Delhi, on Thursday said he was “in a very bad condition” at present. Wakeel Hasan alleged that the people who demolished his house were “not able to show him papers” in connection with the demolition when asked for them.

“ I feel very bad… I don’t understand why this is happening to me…we did such good work but in return, my own house has been razed. Where will I take my children…it is very difficult to earn a living, how will I buy a house?…the only option left for us is to die…I asked the people who came to demolish my house why are they doing it, but they did not say anything and did not show any papers…,” Wakeel Hasan told reporters.

Wakeel Hasan added that his family was beaten up when they went to the police station to raise their concerns in connection with the matter after being asked to. “We were sent to a police station, my children, my wife and I were kept in the police station…my son was beaten up and he is injured,” he said.

“The whole world is praising us. Uttarakhand govt had given us ₹50,000 but in today’s time, it is nothing. We have so much debt, we have to feed our children…” he added.

Who is Wakeel Hasan?

Wakeel Hasan was one of the rat miners involved in the rescue operations aimed at evacuating labourers trapped at the Silkyara tunnel in the state in November last year. Wakeel Hasan’s house was razed during a demolition drive conducted by the Delhi Development Authority at Khajoori Khas in Northeast Delhi on Wednesday. DDA officials said that the drive was conducted after intimation was given to the residents in the houses.

“On February 28, 2024, a demolition drive was conducted by DDA to remove encroachment from its acquired land in village Khajoori Khas. The land was part of planned development land,” DDA said in a statement.

Hasan’s family, however, alleged that no prior notice was given.

In November 2023, part of the Silkyara tunnel under construction suffered a collapse, resulting in 41 workers being trapped inside. Despite immediate rescue efforts, authorities were forced to enlist a 12-member team of rat-hole miners as a final resort to clear the remaining 12 meters of the 57-meter-thick debris wall that had confined the workers in the tunnel for 17 days. Their courageous actions earned them national acclaim and were praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.

(With ANI inputs)