Karnataka optimistic

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, OCT. 15. The Karnataka Government has not received any concrete information about the effort by the team of emissaries to secure the release of the matinee idol, Mr. Rajkumar, and two others from the brigand Veerappan's captivity.

However, there was an air of expectation here today based on a message reportedly sent by the Tamil Nationalist Movement leader, Mr. P.Nedumaran, to the Tamil Nadu Government.

The Chief Minister, Mr. S. M. Krishna, said the Government had not heard anything about the progress, if any, made by the four emissaries - Mr. R.R.Gopal, Mr. Nedumaran, Prof. Kalyani and Mr. Sukumaran.

Expressing the hope that the hostages would be released soon, the Chief Minister told reporters that Karnataka was in constant touch with Tamil Nadu regarding the ``feedback'' from the emissaries.

On the selection of Mr. Nedumaran as one of the emissaries despite his pro-LTTE leanings, Mr. Krishna said the question had already been answered. He was also not aware if members of Mr. Rajkumar's family had left for Chennai.

The choice of Mr. Nedumaran and the two other emissaries, said to be connected with human rights organisations, has hardly come in for comment in political circles here as the main focus has all along been on securing the hostages' release. By and large, the Opposition is with the Government in its efforts to secure the release. Even otherwise the question of choosing the emissaries has become passe and any delving into it might even impair the efforts of the two governments, it is said.

Even by late evening, the Government had no information on the actual release of the hostages and was hoping it would be done soon. The Home Minister, Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge, only said that the talks between the emissaries and Veerappan were useful and that the hostages would be released as early as possible.

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