The Veerappan affair stinks. Particularly disturbing is the dispatch with which the chief ministers of two states which can never seem to agree on anything managed to forge a nice rehabilitation package for the poacher.And they did it without taking their respective Assemblies into their confidence. The MLAs of Karnataka have reason to be peeved about being left in the dark, because the case confirms the people's suspicion that they are stuck with a weak State, prepared to deal with common criminals from a supine position. Karunanidhi, too, has reason to pooh-pooh allegations that his government bribed Veerappan. The smuggler does not need any more money the State has meekly acceded to terms that allow him to keep his ill-gotten gains.But what really disturbs is the unholy urgency with which the terms were accepted. It is almost as if the people in power want to clinch the deal and get the case out of the way, lest investigations bring unpalatable truths to light. Certainly, Veerappan sourced the sandalwood and smuggled it out of the forest. But other people took it to the overseas markets. And right down the route, there must be any number of men of substance who saw that it got through the checkpoints. Far too many people will get hurt if Veerappan spills the beans, and hence the easy terms. The State has treated with criminals before, but only when their criminality stemmed from political motives, only when it could dictate the terms, and only after extracting a promise to abjure violence. It is most unseemly for a government to surrender unconditionally, but it has been moving in that direction in recent times.The ULFA, for instance, has been shown to be a bunch of extortionists with few pretensions to ideology. Its office-bearers and fund-raisers are known to security agencies. Yet, the government has chosen not to retaliate for the killing of Sanjoy Ghose. And now, it has actively sought to clinch a deal with a common criminal on his terms. The implication is that any brigand can expect terms that amount to a State pardon, provided he keeps up his brigandage long enough.Veerappan is a murderer and should be dealt with according to the law, not according to the unholy compacts that he enters into with state governments. Apart from policemen, he has killed forest officials, people who were not expected to lay down their lives when they entered into their service contract with the State. Now, the State owes them justice. Yet, it seems to be far more concerned about the lot of Veerappan's family than the families of his victims. In fact, it has even committed itself to protecting Veerappan's life. The death penalty, though, is yet to be abolished in India. In addition, Veerappan's period of confinement in premises that guarantee his comfort are to be the minimum as per law. Life imprisonment, though, continues to feature in the statute books. Were the courts to insist on due process, to what extent would the State go to protect this thug? Will it be willing to change the laws of the land? The governments of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka should deeply ponder this issue before they make their compact with the devil.
