By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 27: Meghalaya had reasons to cheer on Sunday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi showered praises Brian Daly Kharpran who, along with his team, has discovered over 1,700 caves in the state.
The PM also urged people to visit Meghalaya’s caves, some of which are among the longest and deepest in Asia.
In his Mann Ki Baat address, the PM said, “In 1964, he (Brian) conducted his first exploration as a school-going boy. In 1990, he along with his friend established an association, and through this, he started to find out about the unknown caves of Meghalaya.
“Kharpran, along with his team, discovered more than 1,700 caves in Meghalaya and put the state on the world cave map. Some of the longest and deepest caves in India are in Meghalaya,” he said.
Appreciating the efforts of the entire team of Kharpran, he urged people across the country to make plans to visit the caves of Meghalaya.
Kharpran, who is the founder secretary of the Meghalaya Adventurers’ Association, has so far mapped 537.6 km of caves in the state.
When contacted, Kharpran said he was elated by the gesture of the Prime Minister.
“It is a big honour and I am please and happy. But it is a recognition for the Meghalaya Adventurers’ Association (MAA) for the work it has been doing for the past many years,” he said.
Kharpran recalled that their initial days were full of struggle since they did not receive help from any quarter.
“It was a long and lonely fight. But we have come a long way and we are stronger now. We have not run out of caves and we have discovered 1,700 caves and there are so much more waiting to be discovered,” he said.
He hoped the state government will take note of this recognition and understand the importance of giving priority to protection and conservation since caves are irreplaceable.
“If you destroy them now then it is finished and you cannot retrieve them anymore. These are our national heritage and a storehouse of scientific resources and we should protect and conserve them,” he added.
According to him, it is important to understand the fragile nature of the caves in Meghalaya and the eco-system that exists inside.
“We have very diverse forms of life in our caves not found anywhere in the world, including the largest cave fish in the world,” the MAA president added.
