Nedumaran’s ‘humanitarian mission’: Chennai police, Lanka navy on alert

Tamil Nationalist Movement leader Pazha Nedumaran, an LTTE supporter, is preparing to leave for his ‘humanitarian mission’ to North Sri Lanka at 10 am on Wednesday, taking along a boatload of supplies, including food and medicines, for the beleaguered Tamils.

While Colombo is said to have directed its navy to apprehend him if he crosses into Lankan waters, the Tamil Nadu police are “closely monitoring the situation”. Director-General of Police P Rajendran told The Indian Express: “We are watching him closely.” According to sources, the police may detain Nedumaran if he undertakes the journey.

Meanwhile, according to reports reaching here, both Nedumaran and the leader of the Dalit Panthers of India (DPI), Thol Thirumavalavan, who is supposed to flag off another supply boat from Rameshwaram on Wednesday, have been finding it difficult to lease out boats from the local fishermen who are wary of being dragged into a “mess” if lend their boats for the “humanitarian mission”.