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As the Meghalaya mine tragedy reminded us yet again, North East India often feels neglected across the rest of the country. Stand-up comic Abhineet Mishraa, who belongs to the state, has made the point, shunning comedy, in a new video (above).

Mishraa talks about the tragedy that struck the state on December 13, 2018, when 15 miners were trapped in an illegal mine in East Jaintia Hills. Since then, the efforts made by the state and the central governments to rescue these trapped miners have been far from adequate.

The performer talks about the helplessness of a poor 50-year-old father who is asking for the government’s permission to try to rescue his son who is trapped in a mine that is over 300 feet deep, since nobody else seems concerned.

Mishraa makes strong points on the obsession of the media about covering Taimur Ali Khan’s daily schedule, or the more-recent Tim Paine-Rishabh Pant babysitting discussions. He questions why the nation has failed miners who are trapped 300 feet below ground when it possesses the technology to build statues 200 feet above the ground.