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Nedumaran moots amnesty for Veerappan

Shobha Warrier in Madras

Tamil Nationalist Movement leader P Nedumaran has requested the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Governments to consider general amnesty to sandalwood smuggler Veerappan.

If both governments agree, he said he was willing to go to the forest and negotiate with Veerappan. He was also quite confident of convincing Veerappan to surrender.

"Both governments should take a positive decision first. I request both governments and also the Indian Government to consider my proposal seriously. They should first come forward and give general amnesty to him. Then, I can try to convince Veerappan to surrender."

He felt that Veerappan should be given an opportunity to reform himself. He cited the cases of general amnesty to Phoolan Devi and several other "murderers of the Chambal valley".

On whether Veerappan would serve a jail sentence like them, he replied, "We can work out the modalities later. Let them give general amnesty first. Only then, he will come out of the forest."

Nedumaran felt that if the governments agreed to his proposal, Veerappan would send emissaries to him so that he could meet him in the forest, like he did to release Dr Rajakumar.

From the manner in which both governments ignored his proposal and went ahead with combing operations in the forest, it was quite evident that they were more interested in nabbing the forest brigand.

Although several days have passed since the Special Task Force has begun operations, it has not tasted success.

Former director general of police Walter Dawaram, who headed STF operations in 1993, is unhappy with the way the STF is functioning, especially its decision to use helicopters to nab the criminal.

He felt helicopters would in no way help the police in their operations.

On newspaper reports that Nedumaran knew where Veerappan was, he said, "I do not know where he is. How can I know? When some pressmen asked me, 'Where is Veerappan now?' I said, he is in a safer place. That's all. Obviously, he is in a safer place. Otherwise, the STF would have nabbed him by now."

Nedumaran wanted more transparency in the activities of the STF in the Satyamangalam forests and also wanted them to suspend activities till the Sadasivam inquiry commission completed its probe and gave compensation to the affected people.

"There is no transparency in its operations. Has it allowed the media to go near it? So far, it has not allowed the press to enter the forest. It may not allow people like me, but it can at least allow the press and human rights activities to see what is happening."

He also said that he had received reports of harassment of villagers by the police. He felt that the police took revenge against people to cover up their inefficiency and inability to trace Veerappan.

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