Nedumaran sent only to help Gopal: Karunanidhi

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, OCT. 13. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, today justified the Government's decision to send the Tamil Nationalist Movement (TNM) leader, Mr. P. Nedumaran, and some human rights activists to the forest, along with the official emissary, Mr. R.R. Gopal, to negotiate with the brigand Veerappan the release of the Kannada actor, Mr. Rajkumar, and the two other hostages.

Brushing aside strong objections by Opposition parties' to the choice of the LTTE-friendly Mr. Nedumaran on the ground that it would help to establish links between pro-LTTE groups and Tamil extremist elements in the Veerappan camp, Mr. Karunanidhi saw the criticism as being somewhat out of place.

Responding to a volley of questions at a press conference in the Secretariat here, Mr. Karunanidhi said the movement led by Mr. Nedumaran was not banned in the State. Asked about Mr. Nedumaran's open support to the LTTE's cause which could impart a new dimension to the hostage crisis, the Chief Minister said several political parties in Tamil Nadu backed the LTTE.

In a pointed reference to a ``strong LTTE supporter'' (Mr. Veeramani heading the Dravida Kazhagam) being part of the AIADMK- led Opposition front now, Mr. Karunanidhi asked, ``why is the serious concern expressed here (in relation to Nedumaran), not expressed there?''

Denying a report in The Hindu , attributed to the Karnataka Chief Minister that Mr. Nedumaran was Tamil Nadu's choice, Mr. Karunanidhi said Mr. S.M. Krishna had informed him over the telephone this morning that the latter had been misquoted.

Mr. Nedumaran had not gone as the ``Government's emissary'', he said to another query. His trip was not at cross-purposes, but was only to help Mr. Gopal, Mr. Karunanidhi said, adding Mr. Nedumaran joined as mediator only with the `consent' of the Nakkeeran Editor.

Mr. Gopal's ``acceptance'' of Mr. Nedumaran in his fifth forest mission ``also makes them emissaries''. Veerappan himself through a cassette had requested that Mr. Nedumaran, Prof. Kalyani and Mr. Sukhumaran be sent this time, he said, adding it was in accordance with that wish the decision to send the TNM leader was taken.

Disagreeing with a suggestion that Veerappan's insistence on Mr. Nedumaran's presence reflected the brigand's loss of faith in the official emissary, Mr. Karunanidhi underscored that Mr. Gopal's concurrence was pivotal to this episode. Nonetheless, he declined to divulge the source through which the brigand's cassette was received.

To another question, Mr. Karunanidhi was sceptical of the Opposition's demand including that of the TNCC(I) that an all- party meeting be convened, just as the Karnataka Chief Minister had done, to discuss the ``official strategy'' to resolve the hostage crisis. ``There (in Karnataka) all the parties are of one view on this,'' he said.

Claiming that he did not think that the Supreme Court calling for ``primary material'' from both the State Governments in the TADA detenus cases was an interference with the Executive, Mr. Karunanidhi said, ``we respect the courts''.

Expressing the hope that Mr. Rajkumar and the other hostages would be released by Veerappan this time, Mr. Karunanidhi said that Mr. Gopal and others have ``got the signal'' from Veerappan early today and were proceeding to his hideout.

Team on way to hideout

Meanwhile, Mr.Gopal, who contacted the Nakkeeran associate editor, Mr.A. Kamaraj, at 8 p.m., expressed the hope that their mission would be ``100 per cent successful this time'', a press release from the magazine said. All of the emissaries along with Veerappan's aide, were on their way to the bandit's hideout, it added.

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