Hurrah! Minister Sushma does it again; Father Tom Uzhunnalil rescued from Islamic State operatives

NewsBharati    12-Sep-2017
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New Delhi, September 12: Good News! Father Tom Uzhunnalil a Catholic priest who was abducted in Yemen in March last year has been finally rescued. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also expressed her happiness over the rescue of Father Tom Uzhunnalil. 

 

Expressing the happiness, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday tweeted and informed the whole country that Father Tom Uzhunnalil has been rescued. She tweeted saying, “I am happy to inform that Father Tom Uzhunnalil has been rescued.

 

Father Uzhunnalil was abducted in March by Islamic State operatives when they attacked an old-age home run by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in the southern Yemeni city of Aden. At least 15 people at the old-age home were killed in the attack including four nuns of the Missionaries of Charity, one of them from India.

BACKGROUND:

The whole matter came into limelight in December last year when Father Tom Uzhunnalil posted a video in which he appealed to the central government of India and Pope Francis to secure his release. He in a video has also alleged that not enough efforts were being made to free him because, as an Indian, he was “not considered of much value.”

Father Uzhunnalil claimed that his captors have made contact with the Government of India on several occasions but so far, the authorities have taken no steps to free him. "I am very sad that nothing has been done seriously in my regard. Reports have been there in the news that everything is being done to release me quickly. But in reality nothing seems to have happened," the priest said.

Addressing “fellow Christians”, he said, “Nothing has been done by Pope Francis or the Bishop of Abu Dhabi to get me released, in spite of contact being made by my captors… Dear Pope Francis, dear Holy Father, as a father please take care of my life. I am very much depressed. My health is deteriorating,” he said.

Reacting immediately to the video and looking at consequences Minister Sushma Swaraj promised that Indian authority will try their best to bring Father Tom back safely. Minister Sushma Swaraj posted a set of tweets and said, "I have seen the video from Father Tom. He is an Indian citizen and the life of every Indian is most precious for us... We will spare no effort to secure Father Tom's release from captivity."


However, many Indians are been successfully rescued from foreign countries after Prime Minister Modi led government came into the power. But the initiatives, hard work, efforts of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj cannot be ignored.