2 days after release Alex Paul Menon says he's back in office

Hours after abducted collector of Sukma district Alex Paul Menon was reunited with his family, speculation was rife that he is to be removed from his post. However, Menon dispelled the rumours today saying that he has resumed work in Sukma as its district collector. Excited to join work after 12 days spent in Maoist captivity, he tweeted, “Have resumed charge in Sukma itself n will go to office today.” Menon was abducted on 21 April during an interaction with tribals in a forested area, with Naxals killing his two bodyguards. He was reunited with his family on Thursday after extended negotiations between the state government and the abductors. [caption id=“attachment_299430” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“File image of Menon working with tribals in Sukma image.PTI”] [/caption] Earlier in the day, Menon thanked everyone for their support saying that though he didn’t earn much money in his life, he earned a lot of respect and affection, and that would keep him going. Menon tweeted, “Thnx 4 all ur support ,In 32 years of my life I have not earned mny but people and affection, Its a grt moral support fr me 2 continue here.” Yet, despite the hardships during the abduction Menon said he did not want to run away from Sukma or not get back to workplace. He tweeted, “Wanna go back to my office , continue doing what all i had Planned for this district with the same enthusiasm and passion.” However, the trauma of the abduction might still be weighing on the IAS official’s mind. “I wanna just sit amidst the family and try and get out of this as fast as i can..” read another of Menon’s tweets. Menon also expressed grief over the killing of the two people, Amjad and Kisun, who were travelling with him on the day he was kidnapped. “I am back safe and at home trying to recoup… Am still shattered and disturbed because I loved those two boys Amjad and Kisun,” he tweeted. Menon said that he tried explaining the Maoists the futility of their ideology to kill innocent civilians and capture power, but the majority of cadres were “illiterate and indifferent” to his exhortations, reported India Today . Despite the brutality that Menon faced during the 12 days in the captivity of the Maoists, the IAS official said his heart still ached for the innocent tribals who were being killed for no fault of theirs. He tweeted,“Striking terror in the hearts of ordinary poor tribals of Manjhipara who had assembled with all hopes around me …… wanna go 2 their families n console them with no media attention , try n see in wat all ways I can help those families get back to normalcy.”