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Abducted Kerala Catholic priest rescued in Yemen – with Oman’s intervention (Roundup)
Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) A Catholic priest from Kerala, Tom Uzhunnallil, abducted by terrorists in Aden in March last year, has been rescued from captivity from an undisclosed location in Yemen, thanks to the intervention of the Oman government.
Uzhunnallil, who belongs to Kottayam district, was brought to Muscat, the capital of Oman, on Tuesday morning.
Later, the Indian priest left Muscat on board a Royal Oman Air force aircraft for an audience with the Pope in Vatican.
Uzhannallil is an employee of the Vatican, which has been engaged in talks with various quarters for his release.
The Oman government took the lead in getting him released after a papal representative visited Oman last month and had an audience with the King of Oman.
According to a statement of the Sultanate of Oman, “In response to the Royal Orders of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and as per a request from the Vatican to assist in the rescuing of a Vatican employee, the concerned authorities in the Sultanate, in coordination with the Yemeni authorities, have managed to find a Vatican government employee. He was transferred this morning to Muscat in preparation for his return home.”
According to a Times of Oman report, Uzhunnallil expressed his thanks to God and to Sultan Qaboos, and wished him good health and wellness.
“He also thanked his brothers, sisters and all relatives and friends who prayed for his safety and release,” the statement added.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted about the release of the Catholic priest, who was abducted in March last year.
“I am happy to inform that Father Tom Uzhunnalil has been rescued,” she said.
The media in Oman confirmed the news of the release of the priest and posted a picture of him — standing in a room with the picture of the Oman king in the background.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed happiness at his release.
“The Kerala government will now extend all the help that is needed for his treatment and other things,” said Vijayan in a Facebook post.
Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the abduction took place while he was in office in 2016.
“We did everything possible and the efforts of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is laudable, who was always willing to give her best. The Abu Dhabi diocese of the Church of the priest also took huge interest. We are all really happy at his release,” said Chandy.
Newly-sworn in Minister of State for Tourism, IT and Electronics K.J. Alphons, from whose district the priest hails, said the release became a reality because of concerted team effort.
“Special thanks to Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has to be said,” said Alphons.
Expressing happiness at the news, the priest’s brother Mathew Uzhunnallil said their prayers have been finally answered.
Uzhunnallil’s ancestral home in Ramapuram in Kottayam district is presently shut as two of his brothers live abroad, while another lives in Gujarat.
Hearing the news, relatives of the priest gathered at the home of a relative who lives close by the ancestral home.
“We have heard that he has been flown to Rome. He is attached to the Bangalore diocese and they also called us to tell the happy news,” said a close relative of the priest.
In March 2016, militants barged into a care home for the elderly set up by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Yemen’s Aden and shot dead many people, including four nuns of the charity organisation, among whom one was from India.
After the shooting, the militants took away the Catholic priest. Since then, other than a few videos released from time to time, there had been no news of his whereabouts.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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