The Hindu : TN-Karnataka ties may worsen

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

TN-Karnataka ties may worsen

By V.Jayanth

CHENNAI Aug. 26. After the dispute over the sharing of Cauvery waters, which has taken a toll on the relations between the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Governments, the latest kidnap episode enacted by the forest brigand, Veerappan, is expected to worsen the ties between the two neighbouring States. Tamil Nadu has already suspended bus services to Karnataka.

The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, fired the first salvo this morning, accusing Karnataka of lowering the guard and downgrading the status as well as operations of Karnataka's Special Task Force.

Now that the kidnapped VIP is a Karnataka politician and the incident has taken place in that State, Tamil Nadu might find it convenient to offer merely operational support. It has already decided to augment its STF operations with immediate effect.

The demands of the forest brigand will add to the problem. During the Kannada thespian, Raj Kumar's kidnap, most of the demands put forward on behalf of Veerappan were described as part of `Tamil nationalism'. Ultimately, it was left to the Tamil Nationalist Movement leader, P. Nedumaran, to go into the jungles and secure the matinee idol's release.

The AIADMK Government, which came to power in May 2001, not only revived the STF operations and enhanced the expenditure on it, but also reopened investigations into Mr. Raj Kumar's kidnapping. The editor of the Tamil journal, `Nakkeeran', R.R. Gopal, who was the first government emissary to meet Veerappan, was put through sustained interrogation, while one of its scribes is still under detention. The police, sources say, are looking into a possible `conspiracy' angle to Mr. Raj Kumar's kidnap and the alleged payment of a ransom.

At the time of the Kannada matinee idol's kidnap, Veerappan demanded, among other things, release of Cauvery water, a statue for Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar in Bangalore and above all, release of villagers detained by the STF of both States — including suspected militants held under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act.

Though the official word from Bangalore in the present case was that the `message' from Veerappan was not clear, the forest brigand has reportedly demanded the release of Tamil nationalist leader, Nedumaran, who is held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act by the Tamil Nadu Government, and release of Cauvery water by Karnataka. Dropping of charges against the Nakkeeran editor and staff is stated to be another demand. Both the States are unlikely to accept such demands and this could lead to a stalemate.

Asked if any of the demands were communicated to the State, a senior police officer said, ``We have no word yet, but I can say the Supreme Court order clearly prohibits any release of detenus under these circumstances''.

More than that, the authorities here are worried about the attack on buses and vehicles from Tamil Nadu and a further deterioration in human relations. Only recently, the problem over the release of Tamil films in Karnataka was sorted out.

Apart from the friction between the two State Governments, the relations between the people might suffer.

And police sources insist that unless the two States work together, they cannot make any headway in the hunt for Veerappan.

But there is already the point of view that precious resources are being expended on the Veerappan operations, with no tangible progress. If any ransom is paid in , the brigand would become more elusive, police sources say.

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