The Indian Government has said that no ransom was paid for the release of Indian priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil, abducted in Yemen in March 2016. Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh said the Ministry “works quietly without noise, but ultimately gets the work done”.
“Release of Father Uzhunnalil on Tuesday underlines one thing that the Ministry of External Affairs works quietly and without noise, but ultimately gets the work done,” Singh said at a Press conference in Thiruvanathapuram.
Father Tom was abducted by Islamic State (Daesh) terrorists during an attack on an old age care home in Aden on March 6, 2016. At least 15 people at the old-age home were killed in the attack while Father Tom was taken captive. The Indian Government had rejected the initial reports that claimed he was killed by the Daesh and several months after the kidnapping two videos surfaced in which Father Tom had urged Indian Government to save his life and said that his abductors were demanding ransom. “If I were a European priest, I would have been taken more seriously. I am from India. I am perhaps not considered of much value,” the priest had said in one of his videos.
The Indian Government had intensified its efforts after the videos surfaced and also sought helps from Government of Yemen and Oman for assistance. “We know the type of criticism that had come couple of times when Father Tom disappeared in Yemen. We are very happy that he has come back safely and I am sure people will appreciate that we were able to get him out safe and sound,” Singh said. On the role played by Oman, the Minister added that various methods were adopted to tackle a problem. “If a direct method failed to yield results, indirect methods are adopted and the aim is to get the problem solved,” he said.
On Wednesday, a day after Father Tom was released, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj publicly thanked these two Governments for their help. “India thanks Oman. India thanks Yemen,” Swaraj said on Twitter.
The Minister also spoke to Father Tom, who at present is in Vatican. “Fr Tom has spoken to me from Vatican. He profusely thanked the Government of India, especially the Prime Minister, for efforts to rescue him. He also conveyed his thanks to the Governments and people who helped in his rescue mission. He has also conveyed his thanks to the people of India for their concern and prayers for his release,” Swaraj tweeted.