A day after Catholic priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil was released from the custody of Islamic State operatives in Yemen, the Government of India said it had paid no ransom to secure his release.
Talking to the media here on Wednesday, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.K.Singh said, “Fr. Tom’s release underlines the fact that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) works quietly without making too much noise but ultimately gets the work done.”
Pointing out that the MEA had faced some criticism when the priest disappeared in Yemen, he said, “We are happy that he has come back safely.”
Asked about the role of the Government of Oman in the rescue effort, he said various methods had been explored to solve the problem. “When direct methods do not yield results, you adopt indirect methods. In such situations, you have to seek everybody's help,” he said.
Asked whether any ransom was paid for his release, he replied in the negative.
The Minister, who was in the city to participate in Videsh Sampark, a State outreach conference organised by the MEA, said the Centre had opened negotiations with other countries to enforce the minimum wage requirements for Indians going abroad for jobs. The objective, he said, was to ensure that Indians were not misused and did not end up as cheap labour open to exploitation.
The government had also made it compulsory for emigrants to attend a pre-departure orientation programme, he said. “The MEA has tied up with the Skill Development Ministry to organise pre-departure training centres for emigrants so that they understand the customs and language of the destination country and acquire the confidence to execute the job for which they are recruited.”