Una/Morinda, September 1
The wait finally ended for them after 41 tense days. The native villages of the three Indian truck drivers, Antaryami, Sukhdev Singh and Tilak Raj, broke into celebration when TV channels telecast the news of their release by militants in Iraq and the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed it this evening. Family members of the hostages paid obeisance at gurdwaras near their houses and distributed parshad among villagers.
A large number of people rushed to the hostages’ houses to congratulate the families as the news of their release spread in the region. But shaken by conflicting reports several times during the crisis, the families did not burst crackers or call dholis, saying they would celebrate fully only when Antaryami, Sukhdev Singh and Tilak Raj reached home safely.
At Antaryami’s village Dehlan in Una district, thrilled with joy, his father Rammurti said: “At 5.20 pm I received a call from Dr Ashok Amrohi, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, telling me that Antaryami and other Indian hostages had been released and would be back in India probably by tomorrow evening.” Dr Amrohi also told Rammurti that the government had made arrangements for the family to stay in Delhi to receive his son.
“I heard the news about my son’s release on television around 5.10 pm. But I was satisfied only when I got a call from Dr Amrohi. Later, to my surprise, I heard the voice of my son after a long gap. Just as Dr Amrohi ended the call, I received Antarymai’s call. He was elated and wanted to reach home as soon as possible,” said Rammurti. Thereafter, he received phone calls from several ministers and politicians from Himachal Pardesh. The Minister of External Affairs also called up to congratulate him.
Thrilled with joy Sukhdev’s mother Gurdev Kaur is offered a ladoo by her grandnephew after the news of Sukhdev’s release was received at Makdona village in Ropar district on Wednesday. — Tribune photo
by Parvesh Chauhan |
Later, Antaryami’s family, accompanied by about 400 villagers, paid obeisance at the village gurdwara and distributed parshad.
At Sukhdev’s native village Makrona Kala in Ropar district, a relative, Amritpal, received the first call around 4.30 pm from a mediaperson informing him about the release of the hostages. Sukhdev’s aged father, Sher Singh, said, “I did not trust the phone call in view of earlier conflicting reports. However, when Dr Amrohi confirmed the news, the entire village burst into celebrations. All family members along with other villagers visited Gurdwara Baba Bakala and distributed parshad.
Delighted, Sukhdev’s mother, Gurdev Kaur, said, “Finally, God has accepted my prayers. This is a new birth for my son on the quadricentennary of the installation of Guru Granth Sahib. All pain and suffering that I went through is over and I am waiting for my son’s arrival”.
According to a report from Hoshiarpur, Kishni Devi, mother of Tilak Raj, along with her daughter Taro, was busy working in the field when the news of her son’s release was flashed by the media. When a group of mediapersons reached her house in Pur Hiran village, no member of the family was present.
Tilak Raj’s father was admitted in hospital yesterday and his younger brother, Mohinder Singh, was also not present. Tilak Raj’s wife and children were in Dhanpur village in Una district of Himachal Pradesh.
After learning of the release and a search for more than half an hour, Kishni Devi’s neighbours brought her back from the field and congratulated her. All of a sudden, the house was filled with joy.
Kishni Devi, scarcely able to hold back her tears, said: “I’m very thankful to God for the release of my son.”
