Fr. Alexis Prem Kumar Antonisamy, a Jesuit priest, was abducted by the Taliban on June 2, 2014, from Afghanistan. He was released seven months and 22 days later as the result of the efforts of the government and the Jesuit Congregation. The Catholic News shares his experiences and life during the captivity.
‘I Just Need that Crying Boy’
Fr. Prem Kumar was born in Variyanvayal, Sivaganga district in Tamil Nadu. His father Alexis Antonysamy was a primary school headmaster and his mother Maria Thankam was a higher grade school teacher. Father Prem Kumar, the eldest of five children, was taken by a relative nun, to attend the Jesuit Congregation’s vocation camp when he was in 10th grade. From the moment he reached the camp, Prem Kumar started crying for no particular reason. The boy who wanted to become a priest with fragile nature was invited to join the seminary. ‘I just need that crying boy,’ said the Vocation Promoter looking at Prem Kumar during the camp. Later he joined the seminary and completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies along with his seminary studies. On November 25, 2000, Alexis Prem Kumar has ordained a priest of the Lord Jesus.
During his seminary studies, he realized that his ‘call within the call’ was to work for the downtrodden and refugees in the community. Providentially, his first appointment was in a refugee camp run by the Jesuit Congregation in Kodaikanal. Since 2006, he has been working for the upliftment of Tamil refugees in Sri Lanka. He was very devoted to his duties and responsibilities. As a result, in 2011, he was appointed Director of the Jesuit Refugee Centers (JRC) in Afghanistan.
To Afghanistan with His Mission
Many Afghans have fled to other countries, trapped in insecurity and poverty. Mass of people returned to their homeland as the situation was no different in the places they went to. When they returned, they were left with nothing but misery. The JRC of Jesuit missionaries meant the rehabilitation and education of such people. Thus, Fr. Alexis Prem Kumar arrived in Afghanistan as the Director of JRC.
Herat, a province very close to Iran, was a relatively peaceful place with the chain of mountains as the endless sights. The government school in Herat was run by Jesuit missionaries and was full of children. As refugees arrived in Herat to escape from the cold of December and January, the number of students at the school was increased accordingly. It was more important to provide the children with food than education. Since it was a time when the conflict between the US military and the Taliban in the country was intense, there was a war-like atmosphere. All flights from the country were suspended. Both the citizens and foreigners alike were at risk. Those from India had a strong warning from the Taliban. The cloudy sky made the earth so worried.
‘I Knew, they Came for Me’
“At that time we were not traveling alone. As we received threats from them, we never went out alone. One day we went to visit a school in Herat. After the visit, I was waiting for the other staff nearby our vehicle. Suddenly, I heard the sound of gunshots. Everyone rushed to the school and I realized that they are members of the Taliban. Finally, I knew they came only for me, because I was the only outsider among them,” Fr. Alexis Prem Kumar travels back with his memories.
“Immediately they told everyone to lie down on the ground. They would have shot us if we raise our heads. I had nothing to do rather than obey them. They took my passport and my mobile phone. They put my hands behind my back and took me in their vehicle. I was sweating even in my frozenness. They took me on a deserted road. I did not even dare look up because I was told to lie down in the vehicle. There were some kids in the gangue. One of them put his little fingers behind my neck like a gun and said, “If you do not obey, you will be shot like this with a gun.” Father Alexis Prem Kumar remembers.
They took Father Alexis through the hilly sand dunes. “We traveled all night. Eventually, we reached a cave. Only a brilliant driver could drive through the steep hills and sand dunes, so to protest against them is something impossible. I was unable to think to move the tip of my fingers against them,” says the Father. Later he realized that the kidnappers were local people of the place and do these only for money. They are very close to the Taliban and, in an area with only hills and valleys, they handed over him to the Taliban militants.
“I could not bear the pain when my hands and feet were tied. ‘You kill me, my anguish overflowed as words. When I reached Afghanistan, I learned Dari, a local language of Afghanistan. Hence, I could understand what they were speaking. One of them came to me with a pen and paper and asked about the details of my family members. I did not even know if I could escape or be killed. They were unaware that I’m a Christian priest. My passport, mobile phone, everything was with them. So they can collect my details, easily. I was afraid of my father and siblings who were in India. Taliban can do anything. They can ask for ransom, they can threaten my people. I had a sleepless night thinking about my aged father and siblings in India. I cried out to God to protect my beloved ones. I could do nothing but pray,” he shared with Catholic News. They named him Aslam Khan instead of Alexis Prem Raj.
Persecution in the Desert
There is a Spiritual Exercise that is specially performed by Jesuit missionary priests. A four-step spiritual practice each week. While Father was abducted he was in the third week of his mediation. The third week was specially retreating the passion of Christ. The same passion of Christ happened in his life during that time.
“When Jesus was crucified and hanged for three hours, Mother Mary and the women of Jerusalem were beside the cross, but I remembered that there was no one with me. Living at gunpoint is not so easy. It was just like having no air to breathe. Either hand or foot was always tied up and they would occasionally release me when I went to fetch water or firewood. That time had given a great relief for me. Even walking in front of them made me tremble inside because I was afraid they would shoot me the next moment,” he said.
They did not let him stay in a permanent place. He was housed in nine locations over a period of seven months like the different stations of the Way of the Cross. The first three places were in caves, while the latter was in small tents made of sheets and cloth. He was given the same food they ate. But Father Alexis also had to starve for days. Without proper food and water, he had lost about 12 kg of body weight.
Prayer was the only Relief
Father Alexis asserts that Prayer was the only relief he had from his loneliness and fear. “I was with the people who pray five times a day. I used to pray whenever they go to pray. Even though they had come back, I would continue my prayer. I was provided with a cooler, a radio, and a blanket. These were the biggest luxury I had enjoyed during my desert days. I could listen to Vatican Radio and the BBC.” It was through this that I came to know the days, months, and times. Pope Francis’ Angelus, Reflections, and other programs became a great relief to my helplessness, and in the meantime, I have been able to listen to Radio China’s Tamil programs too,” reveals Father Prem Kumar to Catholic News.
The Pope’s thoughts on Sundays have helped a lot during his ‘silent’ celebration of the Holy Mass. He recalled the previously read prayers, passages of scripture, and the Way of the Cross during his prayers. Even his Taliban guards did not know that he was praying. He sought refuge in prayer to overcome his loneliness and stress. However, he used to cry every day as he did when he went to the vocation camp. “Those days made me stronger. Mentally and spiritually, my desert experiences drew me closer to God. I thought that there were no rescue operations run to release me from the Taliban. But later, around the 100th day of the captivity, I heard the news from the Vatican Radio ‘The abducted priest Fr. Alexis Prem Kumar is alive and keeping well in the captivity. The vigorous attempts to release are in progress. ‘I was astonished and been grateful for that moment when the people are trying to rescue me. At the same time, several militant groups claimed that I am with them in their captivity, which embarrassed the government and the Congregation alike. Finally, they asked for a live video of me. One day, two of the officials came to our place, “Father unrolls his memories to the readers of Catholic News.
‘ The Day I Got a Heart-Breaking Kick’
When asked if he had ever been physically abused, Father described his experience as still painful. It happened when he reached the seventh residence. By then, about 120 days had passed. They did not provide the radio and air cooler to him that he had owned since he was captured. And the hands and feet were bound together. He reacted because it was so much harder and irritating. “I asked them to let me release from this knot. They did not like my resistance and one of them kicked on my chest. At first, I thought my ribs were broken. I could not breathe properly for a while. I was in severe pain for about 50-60 days. Finally, they bought me medicine. Still, I sometimes feel that pain in my chest. But I take it as a reminder of the love of God. Mine was an unexpected release from them. Hence, this is my second life with Him. A resurrection from that crying fragile boy. So, that pain reunites me in Jesus.”
The most fearful matter in the desert is rain and reptiles. Since the tents were with tiny fabrics, the whole thing would get wet when it rained. During that time, there were many cold sleepless nights too. The sand in the desert became wet through the rainwater dissolved off with his tears. The greatest blessing of all, he says, is that even though poisonous animals like snakes, scorpions are very common in the desert, none of them bothered him. He firmly believes that it is the special care and protection of God amidst all the miseries.
That Blood-Sweat Moment
The journey to the ninth place was one that Father Alexis would never forget. He remembers that even though death always accompanied him like a shadow at all times, the situation when it came to the fore was terrible. He was asked to board a vehicle loaded with guns. And on another side of it was a large barrel filled with petrol. The night before, they had asked him to sing a song for them. Father sang a very popular Tamil song to them.
“I sang the song ‘Iraivan Idam Kai Yentungal’ (Stretch your hands towards God, He will not say no to you) and they laughed when I sang. It was rather not of my soulful singing and understanding its meaning; in fact, they enjoyed a lot that I was crying terribly when I was singing. So definitely they will kill me, I thought. I laid down in the middle of the guns and began to sweat. I imagined that I would be killed where this vehicle was parked. The same pain I felt of the Lord in the Gethsemane. At that time my mind was watching a huge funeral that I had supposed to get and expected as a priest. But a moment later, I came to the reality, I would not receive the last rites and my greatest wish was to be buried in the cemetery at the Jesuit Provincial House in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. I understood that nothing would happen. I cried without making sound. The darkness of death swallowed my life and heart. I felt like I was slowly moving through the path of His Way of the Cross. I’d been half dead. But, they didn’t kill me.”
Father was awaiting his release each day. Finally, he thought that he would release at least by February 11, the death anniversary of his mother. But no miracle happened. But exactly 11 days later, the Taliban agreed to release him. He was released on February 22, 2014, as a result of the efforts of the Indian – Afghan governments and the Jesuit Congregation. The Taliban gave him a mobile phone and dropped him off in the desert.
“I walked and moved on. I could see the flags of India and Afghanistan were hoisted far away. Suddenly, a call came to the phone in my hand. It was a member of the Indian Consulate. He told me, ‘We are not safe here either, run as fast as you can.’ I ran. I was afraid that still, they can shoot me. Anyway, it did not happen. I was freed! ”
He remembers the days of his release with great gratitude. Father says he was able to come back to life because of the hard work of both the governments and the Congregation. There has been always special care of God.
When he returned to his homeland, whomever he could meet, all of them told him that they were praying for his safe release.
“I’m so happy to hear that. One of the reasons this whole world, even those who do not know me, prayed for me is because we all believe in Christ. I just want to say thank you to everyone,” Father Alexis says with great gratitude.
Are you ready to go to Afghanistan once again? He has a clear answer to this question. “Of course, I’m ready to go if my authorities allow it,”
A Message to the Missionaries
“God’s presence is everywhere in this world. We must be ready to see and hear it. Our mission begins when we understand and realize that. There are people who suffer in every society. Accept them as they are. Be happy and grateful for being a missionary. Your simple deeds would value the heaven with huge rewards.”
Father Alexis Prem Kumar is currently serving in Sri Lanka among the Tamil refugees. There his mission is the educational and cultural upliftment of people.
Those seven months and 22 days made him a strong missionary. Father Alexis Prem Kumar is a role model for Christians around the world. This priest is the best example of how God can strengthen us if we stand by His cross when there are failures and crises in life. May the life of this priest, who bowed his head on the cross during the days of suffering in the desert, be made more holy.
Sunisha V.F.