Prime minister Narendra Modi praised and elaborated on the efforts of Meghalaya’s speleologist Brian Dermot Daly Kharpran for exploring some of the most amazing cave systems in the world.
Elated with the prime minister showering praises on him, Brian, the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure awardee, said: “I am proud and happy at the prime minister’s recognition of the efforts of the Meghalaya Adventurers’ Association (MAA).”
“Hopefully, this (recognition) will bring about awareness of the fragility of the caves and their unique eco-systems, which are so endemic and usher in a sense of responsibility for the protection and conservation of archaeological heritage assets,” Brian, who is the founder secretary of the MAA, told the media.
In the course of his 104th episode of the popular radio talk ‘Mann ki Baat” on August 27, the prime minister said that 76-year-old Kharpran had developed a passion for speleology at an early from storybooks and had initiated his first exploration of caves in Meghalaya as a school boy years ago in 1964.
“In 1990, he (Brian) along with his friend established an association and through this he started to find out about the unknown caves of Meghalaya,” Modi said.
“Within no time, he along with his team discovered more than 1700 caves in Meghalaya and put the state on the World Cave Map. Some of the longest and deepest caves in India are present in Meghalaya,” he said.
“Brian and his team have also documented the Cave Fauna, i.e., those creatures of the cave, which are not found anywhere else in the world,” the Prime Minister added.
Appreciating the efforts of Brian and his entire team, Modi urged people to make a plan to visit the caves of Meghalaya, which is home to India’s longest cave Krem Liat Prah – Um Im – Labit system at 31.3 km long.
Krem Liat Prah is one of approximately 150 known caves in the Shnongrim Ridge of the East Jaintia Hills district in Meghalaya.
So far Brian and his team has discovered about 1750 caves and mapped 537 kms cave passage in Meghalaya.
Meanwhile, chief minister Conrad Sangma thanked the prime minister on X for acknowledging the contributions of Brian to speleology.
“Brian is Meghalaya’s first renowned Speleologist and together with his team, the Meghalaya Adventurers’ Association are assisting cavers & speleologists from around the world in their research,” Sangma noted on his micro blogging site.
