Demolition of Home of Vakil Khan, the Rat Hole Miner who led the rescue in Silkyara Tunnel - Statement by Central Trade Unions (March 1, 2024)

Press Statement

The following statement was issued to the press by the platform of Central Trade Unions, independent sectoral federations/associations today 1st March 2024

Central Trade Unions & Independent Sectoral Federations/Associations Condemns Inhuman Vindictive and Cruel Action by DDA and Central Govt
by way of Demolition of Residence of Vakil Hasan, the Famous Rat-hole Miner, Who led the team to Rescue 41 Precious Lives Trapped under Hilly Tunnel

The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Federations/Associations denounces vociferously the demolition of the residence of Vakil Hasan in the Sri Ram Colony, Khajoori Khas, North-East area of Delhi through bulldozer operation on 28th February, 2024 in broad daylight, at the direction of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on the ground of the so-called unauthorized occupation. Shri Vakil Hasan is that famous Rat-hole miner, under whose brave leadership a team of rat-hole miners rescued 41 construction workers who had got trapped and sealed owing to collapsing of the Silkyara Tunnel under construction at Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand, after all the efforts of rescuing them through all modern machineries completely failed.

Vakil Hasan and his team of rat-hole miners did the rescue work for days together through digging way manually in the most difficult hilly-rock putting their own lives in serious danger at every moment and for such heroic bravery, dedication and sacrifices, they received wide appreciation from mass of people throughout the country and came to be widely known in the entire society.

It is shocking to note that from among the more than two lakh people residing in that area, only Vakil Hasan’s residence, where he has been residing with his family, including three minor children, since the last twelve years, was singled out for demolition, that too, without serving any advance notice by the DDA, being run by the Central Govt with the Lieutenant Governor as its Chairman.

The Joint Platform of CTUs while condemning such unjust and cruel bulldozer-happy misdeed by the DDA and the Central Govt for uprooting the poor working people from their residence, demands upon the Central Govt, the DDA and the LG, who is also the Chairman of DDA, to explain in public domain the reason and the purpose behind such singularly targeted and vindictive uprooting operation against Vakil Hasan, throwing him out on the road along with his family and also to fix the accountability of such cruel inhuman operation; the CTUs and the Federations/Associations, while expressing solidarity and support to Vakil Hasan, also demand that the DDA and also the Central Govt must take corrective action and immediately arrange for compensation as well as residential rehabilitation for Vakil Hasan without any delay.

The CTUs and Independent Sectoral Federations/Associations call upon working people and their trade unions to raise their protest against such anti-people, inhuman, vindictive action of the DDA and the Central Govt.

INTUC AITUC HMS CITU AIUTUC

TUCC SEWA AICCTU LPF UTUC
And Independent Sectoral Federations/Associations