Jaswant Gill was born on November 22, 1937, in Sathiala, Amritsar, Punjab. He received his engineering degree in Mining Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Dhanbad.

Batch of 1965, Mining Engineering. Gill, who died on November 26, 2019, contributed significantly to the rescue attempts during the 1989 disaster in Raniganj, West Bengal when men were trapped inside a flooded coal mine.

What Is the 1989 West Bengal Miner Incident?

On November 23, 1989, 220 miners were engaged in their normal work of mining coal using controlled explosions in Raniganj, West Bengal. Unfortunately, the area was suffering from heavy floods at the time. Someone unintentionally disrupted the upper layer of the mine, resulting in an unexpected influx of water.

While many workers were safely evacuated using two lifts, 71 miners were trapped as the mine shafts became overwhelmed with water. Six people were tragically killed in the event, which trapped 65 miners underground.

During that time, Jaswant Singh Gill was the mine’s auxiliary chief mining engineer. Jaswant Gill moved quickly and without hesitation after learning about the dreadful circumstance in which 65 lives were at stake. He descended into the borewell and accomplished the extraordinary feat of rescuing the trapped miners on his own.

He oversaw the entire rescue operation, designing a strategy that included the brilliant idea of building a steel capsule capable of conveying one person at a time via the borewell.

Jaswant Singh Gill Rewarded for His Brave Act

Jaswant Singh Gill’s amazing deed of bravery earned him the title of national hero. In appreciation of his selfless heroics, then-Indian President Ramaswamy Venkataraman conferred the renowned ‘Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak’ upon him in 1991. In addition, a square on Majitha Road in Punjab was dedicated and named after him in recognition of his bravery and dedication.

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And now, Bollywood sensation Akshay Kumar is preparing to release his new film, “Mission Raniganj,” which is based on the 1989 Raniganj Coalfields catastrophe.

The First Look of Akshay Kumar as Sardar Jaswant Singh Gill Has Been Revealed

Meanwhile, Akshay’s first glimpse as Sardar Jaswant Singh Gill was revealed on social media a few months ago, with the actor dressed in a Sikh avatar with a turban and glasses. Pooja Entertainment is said to be behind it. Meanwhile, the film’s title has yet to be disclosed.

Apart from that, Akshay will appear in the upcoming films Selfiee, OMG 2 – Oh My God! 2, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, a Hindi adaptation of Soorarai Pottru, and Vedat Marathe Veer Daudle Saat.