Letter from Chennai: Southern states spar over forest bandit

Relations between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are steadily deteriorating. Apprehensions about the safety of the huge Tamil population in Karnataka are growing as the latter's government made moves to appease the bandit Veerappan, who is threatening to kill a former Karnataka minister.

As relations deteriorated over the Cauvery river dispute, inter-state bus and rail connections were disrupted and Tamil films are still taboo in Karnataka. On Thursday, however, things took an ugly turn, when an AIADMK MLA of Karnataka, Bakthavachalam, a Tamilian, was attacked in broad daylight in Bangalore, outside the state legislature, Vidhan Soudha.

A few days before, the residence of the AIADMK unit in Karnataka, Pugazhendi, was ransacked by a Kannada mob. His crime was that he petitioned the state governor for safety for the Tamils inhabiting Karnataka.

In a statement on the attack on Bakthavachalam, Jayaram Jayalalithaa said, "It is not difficult for anyone to trace the links of this barbaric attack to the uncontrollable Kannada chauvinistic elements dominating the cultural and political milieu of Karnataka for quite some time, particularly in the context of the Cauvery issue".

She added: "This is in stark contrast to the peaceful situation prevailing in Tamil Nadu where Kannadigas live in total peace and security, with no fear of attack on their person and property."
She ended up by asking the Karnataka government to ensure the safety and security of Tamils living in that state.

But while the Cauvery dispute, which agitated farmers on both sides of the border, is one major reason for this situation, an issue that is set to completely sour relations between the two states, is the manner in which both states have dealt with the abduction of Nagappa by forest brigand Veerappan.

With Karnataka deciding to release Kolathur Mani – one of Veerappan's demands – so that he can meet the brigand, matters can only get more complicated as there is a court order for his being handed over to the Tamil Nadu police for standing trial in that state.

Nagappa has been in the sandalwood smuggler's custody since August 25. His family have been pressuring the state government to secure his release at any cost. They have also called on Jayalalithaa in Chennai and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi.

Veerappan has been demanding the termination of the joint police operations against him by the two states through audio cassettes sent periodically over the last three months to the family. He has also proposed the despatch by Karnataka of emissaries to meet him to discuss terms of Nagappa's release.

In this whole process, opinion in Karnataka is that Tamil Nadu is not cooperating. Jayalalithaa has declined to stay Special Task Force (STF) operations against Veerappan on the TN side of the border even though Karnataka has stopped its hunt. The STF set up to nab Veerappan is a joint force of the two states, headed by a TN official, Walter Davaram.

Jayalalithaa who has accused the Karnataka government of having paid out Rs300 million to secure the release of Kannada superstar Rajkumar during that episode, has refused to shell out any funds for the purpose again or to encourage the sending of emissaries to meet Veerappan.

She has stuck to the position that Tamil Nadu will go all out to get Veerappan dead or alive and that there is no compromise in this regard, irrespective of the Nagappa element.

The situation was further complicated by Veerappan's latest cassette sent to Nagappa's family last Thursday (November 21). In that cassette the brigand had set a 12-day limit for the Karnataka government to send Kolathur Mani, a former collaborator of his and now a detenue, as emissary to hold discussions with him. Failing this, he said he would "parcel Nagappa's head" to Karnataka.

He said in the cassette, "I am fed up with extending deadlines. This is the last deadline I am giving to you. If you are expecting more deadlines, you will get only Nagappa's head."

He added, "You might be expecting me to release Nagappa after waiting for some more days. I am not mad to do that. If you don't send Mani this time, you may have to regret. I had asked you to send Raju Gowda (a Karnataka Minister, who refused) if you cannot send Mani. But you have not done that either".

Veerappan referred to the Kandahar hijack when the Government of India released terrorists in exchange for hostages and so on. "If so, why could not Kolathur Mani be released to meet him," he asked.

Veerappan is accused of having killed over 108 persons. Kolathur Mani has 11 cases against him.
In the midst of all this there is another bombshell in the form of a book written by former Karnataka director general of police C. Dinakar on the Rajkumar drama two years ago.

Dinakar in his book said that a ransom of Rs200 million was paid for the release of Rajkumar then by Veerappan. In the book, Veerappan's Prize Catch – Rajkumar published by a Delhi publisher.

He has clearly targeted Krishna and added that the latter spoke to Veerappan twice during the episode. Dinakar, who was closely connected with the whole episode added: "Only a handful of people know all that happened. I am one among them who is free to write this book. I also feel sad that the man who attempted to kill Veerappan is languishing in poverty, while the man who saved Veerappan is living in five-star comfort".

Jayalalithaa has firmly rejected the payment of any ransom to Veerappan.

But one former emissary to Veerappan, editor of the Tamil periodical Nakkeeran, R.R. Gopal has welcomed Krishna's announcement that his government would provide legal protection to Veerappan if he surrendered. He hoped that the TN government would do likewise.

It is this situation that is posing a threat to the eight million Tamil population in Karnataka.