The death of former Karnataka minister H Nagappa is a severe indictment of both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments who failed to work out a strategy to tackle Veerappan and save him. Right from the time of Nagappa’s abduction, the two governments have been more keen on blaming each other than in chalking out a strategy to secure his release.The two STFs have never been able to get anywhere near catching Veerappan dead or alive in the past one decade of combing the forests. Strangely enough, this time all along there was a difference of opinion between the two governments — Tamil Nadu was vehemently opposing the idea of an emissary, maintaining that it had full faith in its force’s capability to hunt down the bandit.When Karnataka finally, though reluctantly, agreed to release Kolathur Mani from jail, heeding the ultimatum in Veerappan’s fifth cassette, the Tamil Nadu government threatened to arrest Mani if he ventured into the Tamil Nadu forests. Mani then developed cold feet and said he would not take up the assignment unless both governments endorsed the move. His apprehensions were understandable given the plight of all those who were earlier involved in the emissary drama during Rajkumar’s release.And from what Veerappan has been saying in his cassettes, the two state governments have failed to fulfil the promises given to him during the release of Rajkumar. In his new avatar as a Tamil nationalist, Veerappan may have been in a mood to be reasonable. If the then Karunanidhi and Krishna governments seemed to have become complacent after Rajkumar’s release, the AIADMK regime too did not help matters by its sabre-rattling. And the Krishna govt dilly-dallied on Kolathur Mani till the very end.Veerappan himself is a loser this time since he has failed to make any money. Besides he has, at one stroke, destroyed the little goodwill he had built during the Rajkumar episode.Now both governments should be cautious and guard against any riots breaking out. Even during those critical days of the Cauvery crisis the Krishna Govt had ensured that no harm came to the Tamils. Hopefully, it would not blot its copybook this time either and ensure adequate protection to the lives and property of the Tamils there.
