Chennai, Feb 22 (IANS) It was a happy Sunday for the family of Father Alexis Prem Kumar when they got news of his release from captivity in Afghanistan after eight months -- and from Prime Minister Narendra Modi no less.
"We are extremely happy to hear the news. We thank the government of India and the government of Tamil Nadu for taking efforts in securing his release," Albert Manoharan, brother of Father Alexis Prem Kumar told IANS over phone.
He said Prime Minister Modi spoke to his father and sister Sunday and said Prem Kumar will be back in Delhi Sunday evening.
"It is a great Sunday surprise gift for us," John Joseph, another brother of Prem Kumar, told IANS.
He was all praise for Modi and the central government.
"It is a government that works even on Sundays. We thank the central government, and Prime Minister Modi for the great job," Joseph said.
He said his father and sister plan to leave for Delhi Sunday.
Modi had earlier tweeted about the safe release of Prem Kumar who was kidnapped June 2, 2014 from Herat province in Afghanistan.
His family in Tamil Nadu had been praying for his safe return.
The Jesuit priest, head of NGO Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), was abducted from Zendjan district while he was visiting a project site.
He was visiting a school for Afghan refugee children and had just returned from a trip to Iran and Pakistan.
Before moving to Afghanistan four years ago, Prem Kumar had worked for the JRS, serving Sri Lankan refugees living in Tamil Nadu.
JRS has been working in Afghanistan since 2005 accompanying returnees home from exile in Iran and Pakistan and providing education and healthcare services in Bamiyan, Kabul and Herat. In 2013, more than 6,000 vulnerable people from disadvantaged communities benefitted from these services.
Delhi Election 2025: BJP's troubles increased due to the rebellious attitude of its people, and the contest for the Tughlakabad seat became interesting
BJP, which has been lagging in Tughlakabad assembly seat for the last two times, is in the fray with a new strategy this time. Along with changing pawns, candidates were fielded according to caste
Shahbaz Sharif took a big decision to get Pakistan out of financial trouble
The newly appointed Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif has taken a big decision on the very first day of assuming power. He has abolished the rule of two days weekly leave for all government
Twin tower debris higher than 6 storey building: 20 dumpers will remove it in 3 months, will get 15 crores only by selling concrete and iron
The illegal Twin Tower of Noida got grounded. Now there are 80 thousand tons of debris at that place. The height of this rubble is equal to that of a 6-story building. According to the order of the
India's concern in UN: Foreign Minister Jaishankar said - the danger of poverty in Afghanistan is 97%, it is fatal for regional stability
India once again raised its voice in the United Nations meeting to protect women's rights and human values in Afghanistan. In a high-level meeting held in Geneva, India's External Affairs
Waqf Law: SC will hear the case against Waqf law on this day, Central government has also made this demand
The Supreme Court will hear on April 16 the petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025. The matter is listed before a bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv
Gaza: 'It would be a misunderstanding to make any plans for Gaza without us after the war', Hamas chief warns Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement not allowing those who support terrorism and provide financial support to enter Gaza. A day after his statement, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh
The first season of WPL from tomorrow: 5 teams will play 20 league matches in 23 days, Delhi strongest; Know everything about the tournament
A day later i.e. from March 4, the first season of the Women's Premier League (WPL) is starting. In this 23-day league, 5 teams will play 20 leagues and two knockout matches. The tournament will begin
What never happened in 24 years will happen now? In the trends, BJP has made the 'lotus' bloom here; government is going to be formed
The counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections is underway. It will become clear who will rule the country for the next five years. Also, it will be decided who will win the Odisha assembly
Russia-Ukraine war: Russia hacking countries supporting Ukraine, the report revealed - the murder of journalist Max was a conspiracy
Microsoft claimed in a report on Wednesday that Russia has intensified hacking attempts against Ukraine and its allies since the start of the war with Ukraine. Russia is also targeting the US and its
MI Vs RCB: 'Where RCB did wonders, we made a small mistake', Hardik Pandya pointed out MI's mistake in a bold manner
The 20th match of IPL 2025 was played between RCB and Mumbai Indians. Batting first in this match, RCB scored 221 runs with half-centuries from Virat Kohli (67) and captain Rajat Patidar (64), in
