THEY HAD LEFT HOME EARLY that morning, but none of them returned home alive. The news shook everyone to the core. Three young labourers, Pynskhemlang Mawthoh, Rapborlang Nongspung, and Elka Shadap, were trapped inside a 33-foot underground water reservoir at Lapalang, Meghalaya, which was filled with deadly carbon monoxide.
What touched everyone’s heart was the unmatched bravery of local Gorkha residents Sunil Thakuri and Umesh Thakuri, who rushed in without a second thought to rescue the trapped labourers after hearing their cries for help. Their courage and the spirit of serving humanity deserve the highest respect. Usually, simple-hearted people never stop to calculate danger; they simply jump in when someone screams for help. This time, that instinct cost them their lives. What is even more heartbreaking is that rescuers Sunil and Umesh, who were brothers, were the sole breadwinners of their humble family. Their loss has dealt a devastating blow to their elderly parents and young children, all of whom depended on them.
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Well, the saddest fact is that those three labourers worked at a highly unsafe site, where the risks were obvious but totally ignored. They did so only because survival demanded it. In Shillong city and its nearby areas, such labourers are “innumerable”. Their economic conditions are so poor that they are forced to accept dangerous jobs. Look at how many poor labourers have lost their lives while working in rat‑hole coal mines in Jaintia Hills. It was never by choice, but by compulsion. If they do not take the job, their family members will starve. In a true sense, the cries of pain and the pangs of such poverty‑stricken people always remain “unheard” by the authorities concerned.
This gas tragedy raises fundamental questions about “workplace safety” in the state. How was such hazardous work inside a confined space “allowed” to happen without proper safety measures in place? Why were workers sent underground or down a shaft without protective gear against invisible dangers like odourless and colourless carbon monoxide? Can the Meghalaya Pollution Control Board and the State Disaster Management Authority escape accountability? No, not at all. Sadly, safety checks, emergency plans, and protective equipment were completely missing, and the price was paid by poor, innocent labourers. How will the authorities deal with the proprietor of this plant now? Why is the government going slow in providing humanitarian relief? This tragedy should now serve as a wake‑up call for the government.
At least, it is heartening to know that some organisations and institutions are coming forward to extend financial support to the bereaved families. Meghalaya Paragliders Association and Hill Crest School have assured support for the education of children from bereaved families. The initiative taken by senior journalist and Padma Shri Patricia Mukhim for this cause is highly inspiring. Unlike other journalists, Ms. Mukhim has always been known to walk the extra mile whenever humanitarian emergencies arise. When people of influence act with compassion, they inspire countless others. Patricia Mukhim’s heartfelt gesture has encouraged many to come forward and contribute generously to this noble cause.
Yes, life is impermanent. We never know how or when our end will come. The true measure of a life is not in its length or in the wealth we amass, but in the kindness and empathy we leave behind. Life is best lived when we live for others.
(A writer and researcher based in Shillong (India), Salil Gewali is best known for his research-based work, ‘Great Minds on India’, which has earned worldwide appreciation. His book has been translated into seventeen languages and edited by a former NASA scientist, Dr. AV Murali of Houston, USA. Gewali is also a member of the International Human Rights Commission Zürich, Switzerland.)
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