The unfinished task

This is a moment for celebration, and not just in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. A nation had counted the days 8212; every one of the 109 8212; of Kannadiga matinee idol Rajkumar8217;s captivity in Veerappan8217;s lair in the Sathyamangalam forests; in days to come Rajkumar8217;s release is certain to spark off much rejoicing and relief. It would be hugely tempting, then, to proclaim an all8217;s-well-that-ends-well verdict and close one of the most torrid kidnap sagas in recent times. Unfortunately, though, we do not have that option. Because the truth is that the final chapter of this story is yet to be written. The governments of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are best advised not to waste any time in a spurious self-congratulation. With Rajkumar back home and safe, there is no excuse anymore to wallow in inaction or to look away from the unfinished task that still stares them in the face. It is time to go after the brigand.

Of course, the truth also is that this is easier said than done. To make a serious bid to nab Veerappan, the two state governments will first have to shake off the paralysis they have so assiduously cultivated for a decade and more. They would have to summon the political resolve to break free from the vicious bind of weakness and collusion in which they willingly trapped themselves for so many long years, allowing Veerappan8217;s evil little empire to thrive and grow. While the bandit8217;s success story is an old one, the latest kidnap drama was the clearest demonstration yet of the state8217;s weakness and Veerappan8217;s power. From that fateful night of July 30, when he carried away Rajkumar from his farmhouse in Gajanur, Veerappan called the shots at every stage; having masterminded the crime, he also dictated the state8217;s response. First the governments of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka fell back on Veerappan8217;s favoured emissary, the enviably resourceful R.R. Gopal, to quot;negotiatequot; with him. Then, when Veerappan demanded achange of emissary in keeping with his new posturing as Tamil Revolutionary, they promptly acquiesced. P. Nedumaran was sent into the forests, his dubious political credentials notwithstanding. Had the Supreme Court not played spoiler, Veerappan8217;s demand for the release of 51 TADA detenus would certainly have been similarly met. It is not yet known whether the governments have caved in to some other demands to secure Rajkumar8217;s release.

So is there any point of departure now? Is there reason at all to hope that governments that have made a habit of surrender and capitulation will be able to rouse themselves to call the bluff of the ivory poacher and sandalwood smuggler? Perhaps the answer to that question lies in the unrelenting media blitz that surrounded Veerappan8217;s latest strike. With the governments8217; ineptitude having been chronicled in insistent detail in full media view during the prolonged kidnap drama, perhaps the state governments will find it more difficult to resist action than ever before. Finally, it is time also to look again at the cases of the detenus whose release was demanded by Veerappan. There are grounds to suspect that many of those who have been labelled Veerappan8217;s quot;associatesquot; are actually long suffering victims of the much abused TADA.