CNN-News18 Indian of The Year 2023: Heroes of Uttarkashi Get Special Mention And Selfies With SRK

The Heroes of Uttarkashi were honoured at the star-studded CNN-News18 Indian of The Year 2023 on Wednesday, finding a special mention amid a rousing applause.

Among the heroes who received the award from MoS Jitendra Singh were National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General (DG) Atul Karwal, rat miners Munna and Wakil, foreman Gabbar Singh Negi and his colleague Saba Ahmed.

Karwal: “The brief was rescue them at any cost. The whole nation was behind us. It was a huge thing. We were given what seemed like a blank cheque. Nature kept throwing challenges, but eventually the mountain relented and let us go."

Singh said the effort showed “the spirit and eternity of Bharat", and added that they are being rewarded on behalf of every Indian.

Negi said: “It was a tough time, we had lost touch with everybody. The workers on the outside knew of the support. Our spirits were going low as we didn’t know all this. Every worker wanted to know when he would be out."

Wakil and Munna said they were overwhelmed with the support and honour, requesting for a selfie with actor Shah Rukh Khan, who readily obliged.

Forty-one workers, trapped in the Silkyara tunnel, were brought out after a 17-day ordeal in November 2023. They were rescued after 400 hours thanks to joint efforts by a dozen agencies from the state and the Centre. The rat-hole miners received accolades from across the country, including politicians, for their role in the rescue operation.

Currently in its 13th edition, CNN-News18 Indian of the Year is an initiative that recognises Indians who have made significant contributions to various fields and have had a profound impact on the nation. Since its inception in 2006, CNN-News18 Indian of the Year has firmly positioned itself as the biggest awards in the world of news television, celebrated for its unassailable credibility.

Over the years, the Indian of the Year award recipients have included personalities such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, cricket star Virat Kohli, the Indian women’s cricket team, NGO Stop Acid Attacks, Chess Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand, music legend AR Rahman, former PM Manmohan Singh, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, star boxer MC Mary Kom, actress Deepika Padukone and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, among others.