Abducted Indian priest's appeal for rescue goes viral
Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi, Dec 27, 2016, DHNS:
Ten months after an Indian Catholic priest was abducted by gunmen in the Republic of Yemen, an undated video has surfaced on YouTube in which he calls for help and alleges apathy from the Indian government and the Church.
The video, uploaded on December 24, has since been shared with the family of the priest, Fr Tom Uzhunnalil, a native of Ramapuram in Kerala’s Kottayam district.
Fr Uzhunnalil, in the video, said that his health was deteriorating and might soon need hospitalisation. Pointing out that efforts were made by his captors to negotiate with the government of India, he said nothing constructive had been done to ensure his release.
Addressing the President and the prime minister, the priest said he was depressed over the apathy. He also stated that Pope Francis and the Bishop of Abu Dhabi, despite contacts made by his captors, had not initiated measures for his release.
“Several months have gone by and my captors have made many contacts with the government of India to get me released. Honourable President and prime minister of India, I am very sad (as) nothing has been done seriously in my regard. Reports in the news suggest that everything is being done to get me released quickly but in reality, nothing seems to have happened,” Fr Uzhunnallil said in the video, the authenticity of which could not be ascertained.
Fr Uzhunnalil said if he were a European priest, the authorities would have taken him “more seriously” and released already. “I am from India and therefore perhaps not considered of much value. I am sad about this,” he said in the five-minute video.
The 56-year-old Salesian priest from the Province of Bengaluru was abducted on March 4, 2016, after gunmen attacked a Missionaries of Charity convent and nursing home for the elderly, killing at least 16 people, including four nuns.
The video, uploaded on December 24, has since been shared with the family of the priest, Fr Tom Uzhunnalil, a native of Ramapuram in Kerala’s Kottayam district.
Fr Uzhunnalil, in the video, said that his health was deteriorating and might soon need hospitalisation. Pointing out that efforts were made by his captors to negotiate with the government of India, he said nothing constructive had been done to ensure his release.
Addressing the President and the prime minister, the priest said he was depressed over the apathy. He also stated that Pope Francis and the Bishop of Abu Dhabi, despite contacts made by his captors, had not initiated measures for his release.
“Several months have gone by and my captors have made many contacts with the government of India to get me released. Honourable President and prime minister of India, I am very sad (as) nothing has been done seriously in my regard. Reports in the news suggest that everything is being done to get me released quickly but in reality, nothing seems to have happened,” Fr Uzhunnallil said in the video, the authenticity of which could not be ascertained.
Fr Uzhunnalil said if he were a European priest, the authorities would have taken him “more seriously” and released already. “I am from India and therefore perhaps not considered of much value. I am sad about this,” he said in the five-minute video.
The 56-year-old Salesian priest from the Province of Bengaluru was abducted on March 4, 2016, after gunmen attacked a Missionaries of Charity convent and nursing home for the elderly, killing at least 16 people, including four nuns.
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