Amid the gloom after the rescue operation failed to save the two-year-old Fatehveer Singh, the relentless teamwork of a baptised Sikh, Jaspal Singh, and a Sirsa dera follower, Jagga Singh, to reach out to child stuck in the borewell won the hearts of locals.

The duo — who are well-diggers — was called by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team after it faced problems during the rescue operation on June 7, a day after the boy fell into the borewell. Both Jagga, a resident of Sangatpura village of Lehragaga, and Jaspal, who hails from Ladbanjara village, started digging a parallel hole to rescue the child. The two worked in tandem and did not stop the work even during the night.

Locals were seen cheering the duo as they toiled in the muck. Their efforts were soon visible as they managed to dig a 135-ft-deep hole. After two days, Jagga was admitted to a hospital after he complained of stomach-ache. Jaspal, however, continued with the digging work.

“I met Jagga during the operation. He did a great job. .We worked like brothers,” said Jaspal while talking to HT. Dera followers and the Sikh community have been at loggerheads after a spate of sacrilege incidents in 2015. “It was a tough job and only one person can dig one time in the well. The sand was big problem but we did best from our side,” said Jagga.

First Published: Jun 12, 2019 03:06 IST