Minding miners

Chileans are celebrating as 33 miners, trapped for over two months in the narrow shaft of a copper and gold mine in the north of the country, were rescued on Wednesday. Chilean President Sebastien Pinera — who, with key ministers, worked hard to ensure that the men were brought to safety — made no effort to hide his joy; neither did his mining minister, a man who has emerged as a hero amongst the families of the men many feared would die deep below the surface of the collapsed mine.

What is remarkable — at least when seen through Pakistani eyes — is the degree of effort that was put in to save the lives of men who are not wealthy, not influential and not really able to do very much to draw attention to their plight. Yet, to ensure they did not die, top officials remained engaged on a day-to-day basis and ministers, for hours, kept a vigil with families above the mine. The help of Nasa scientists was sought to device a rescue plane, build a capsule and lower it through a shaft.

Quite evidently, value of life has a different meaning in our part of the world. According to the limited research done on work conditions at mines in our country — notably coal mines — conditions are hazardous and accidents and death not infrequent. In a 2001 study, the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research noted the extremely poor safety conditions, the lack of government regulation, the indifference and the use of obsolete equipment. Children as young as 10 years toil in these circumstances, endangering their health due to poor air quality and other adverse conditions. A rescue bid of the kind we have seen in Chile seems inconceivable. And this is a matter that should fill us with shame.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2010.