Letter From Bangalore: Forest brigand could strike again

A tip-off that there could be yet another kidnapping from India's most wanted forest bandit, Veerappan, appears to have alerted Karnataka Chief Minister S.M. Krishna to the dangers of not tackling the bandit who nearly brought his government down.

Police in the areas around Veerappan's safe haven, the Bargur-Sathyamangalam forest range that straddles the three states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, have picked up information that he might strike again. Police officials say the larger than life bandit's men have been asked to keep a watch on movement of VIPs around Nagarahole, B.R.Hills, Muthathi.

The police intelligence machinery, has done well again just like it had before when it warned about the kidnapping of Kannada icon, Rajkumar, in 2000 and, two years later, former minister, H. Nagappa, who was killed when in Veerappan's custody in December 2002.

To be fair to the authorities, the response has been equally fast. The meeting decided to accept some long pending demands of the Special Task Force (STF) set up to nab Veerappan, a ruthless veteran in killing of elephants (for ivory) and police and forest officials for revenge.

For one, the review meeting decided to provide satellite phones to the STF for better communication, a factor that has affected operations against the master of Southern India's largest and dense forest.The richness of the forest is what has helpedVeerappan challenge the might oftwo states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for nearly two decades. It also decided to fill up all the vacancies in the districts of Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Mysore in a bid to boost anti-Veerappan operations.

And, removed a critical point of frustration among policemen posted to the STF, enhancement of allowances.

The chief minister also sent out the clear cut message to his police officers that Veerappan can be nabbed only with the cooperation of Tamil Nadu.

But, more than anything else, the alert appears to have been sent out to all and sundry, particularly foreign tourists to Karapur in Nagarahole and neighbouring areas, and VIPs like Mandya member of Parliament and film star, Ambareesh, and the Kannada activist, Vatal Nagaraj, tokeep off that region.

"Who wants to face another painful situation like when Rajkumar was kidnapped ( for 108 days) and Nagappa (was killed after breaking Rajkumar's record in captivity). No government worth its salt would like to take chances anymore,'' said a senior minister.

The minister's quote is an understatement.

What he did not say was that general elections are just 15 months away and it would naturally impact on the ruling Congress that has everything, as of now, going in its favour.

The Janata Dal parivar in shambles and the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) yet to make serious inroads in the rural sector to break the backbone of the Congress. Karnataka is still upset by the attitude of the Union government towards the Veerappan issue. New Delhi has never sent commandos who are experienced in jungle warfare, as requested by Krishna, because it has looked at Veerappan as a mere local issue.

Krishna has always made this point that Veerappan is not a problem of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu alone.As he put it succinctly to a television channel : "It is a personal embarrassment, a state embarrassment and, ultimately,a national embarrassment if we are unable to catch Veerappan.'

It is not clear if this message has gone home to the federal government.

Right now, it is busy receiving delegations, led by Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, on the Paragodu drinking water project across the Chitravathi valley in Kolar district, 70 kms from here.

Karnataka insists that it is meant to tap only drinking water for about 100 villages many of whose people suffer from a debilitating disease caused by fluorosis in the contaminated water resource. AP insists the project has an irrigation potential that would affect its Ananthapur district.