Krishna urges Veerappan not to make extreme demands’

Krishna said this while referring to Veerappan’s demands relating to Tamil language and giving equal opportunities to Tamils in employment and education.

“Just as it is not possible to make Kannada the second language in Tamil Nadu, the situation is the same in Karnataka,” Krishna said, briefing reporters in the light of fresh demands, placed by Veerappan, to release the hostages.

He said under the Centre’s comprehensive recruitment policy, applicable to all States, the interests of linguistic minorities had been taken care of. “We feel under this policy, Kannadigas have been meted out injustice.”

He denied that Veerappan has set August 19 as the deadline to fulfill his demands to free the hostages and said Veerappan had only expected a response to his demands by that date. “I don’t think he has given a deadline.”

Krishna said, the State Government would collect the relevant information on the steps it has taken regarding the demands of Veerappan, including those relating to dropping of TADA cases against 51 suspected associates of the bandit and the compensation to the victims during the 1991-92 Cauvery riots, he said.

“This is a critical and sensitive operation. We have to have all the patience in the world,” he said, adding that the Governments of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka would pursue this path and try to reason out with Veerappan.

The Chief Minister, however, did not spell out details, but assured the people not to have any apprehension on the release of Rajkumar.

Krishna, responding to the clarifications sought by Veerapan on his earlier set of demands, said Tamil Nadu has already made its position clear on the cauvery river water sharing dispute that it cannot be referred to International Court of Justice.

He said as far as TADA cases were concerned, the public prosecutor had filed applications before a court in Mysore on August 10 seeking the dropping of cases and the case which came up for hearing on August 11 has been adjoruned to August 14 for considering the applications.

On Kambalapally carnage, Krishna said the kith and kin of seven Dalits, who were burnt alive, have been paid Rs. 1.5 lakh compensation each, 59 houses were being constructed for rehabilitation. CBI will be investigating the matter, he said.

Krishna said Justice Sadashiva Commission, probing the alleged atrocities against tribals by the Special Task Force of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu commenced its work after the High Court modified its stay order and with this one of the main demands of Veerappan has been “substantially met”.

Krishna said the Government would set a date for unveiling the statue of Tamil legendary poet, Thiruvalluvar, in Bangalore after ascertaining when the statue of Kannada legendary poet, Sarvajna, would be completed to be installed in Chennai.

Meanwhile, in an apparent exercise to convince the forest-fugitive that Karnataka has acted’ on his demands, the State Government has decided to despatch copies of its orders to the bandit. Krishna, said the Government would collect the copies of its orders and send them through the official emissary, R R Gopal. The copies of the orders were expected to be collated by Monday (August 14), since today and tomorrow are Government holidays.

Senior IPS officer, K R Srinivasan, who has been coordinating between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on the hostage crisis, is likely to carry the copies of the orders to Chennai for handing them over to Gopal.

On his part, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi discussed with top officials of the State the modalities for the release of five Tamil extremists, as demanded by Veerappan.

After yesterday’s urgent consultations with Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna, Karunanidhi had told reporters that on a prisoner-for-hostage swap the Government was ready to release the five as demanded by the brigand.