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Give Veerappan a chance to reform: Nedumaran

Tamil National Movement leader P Nedumaran, who played a vital role in securing the release of Kannada film star Dr Rajakumar, on Wednesday appealed to the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka governments to give Veerappan a chance to change his mind and lead a normal life instead of resuming Special Task Force operations to nab him.

Speaking at a felicitation function in Madras, Nedumaran said instead of sending the STF to the forest with sophisticated arms, the two governments should send Sarvodaya leaders to negotiate with Veerappan and give him a second lease of life.

Reiterating that socio-economic factors were the root cause for the 'Veerappan problem', he said unless the governments addressed these problems, any number of task forces and any amount of arms would not help resolve the 'Veerappan crisis'.

On the other hand, it would only trigger the birth of many more Veerappans, he warned.

Nedumaran said even dacoits of the Chambal valley were helped to lead a normal life by people like Jayaprakash Narayan and Acharya Vinobha Bhave.

Supporting Veerappan's demands for releasing Dr Rajakumar, he said one should go into the merits and demerits of the demands instead of exploring the background of the persons who makes them.

Even Valmiki, who had authored the Ramayana, and Thirumangai Azhwar, who helped build the Srirangam Ranganathar temple, were dacoits, he pointed out.

Nedumaran castigated the two governments for resuming STF operations saying the decision to resume the operations only gave rise to doubts that the two governments were trying to stall the proceedings of the Sadashiva Commission of inquiry, set up to probe the alleged atrocities committed by the STF personnel on innocent tribals in the forest areas.

"Who will come forward to depose before the commission if the same STF personnel who had committed the atrocities were posted in the forest?'' he asked.

Nedumaran pledged that TNM workers would not rest until all the guilty STF personnel were brought to book.

He alleged that in the last eight years, these personnel, on the pretext of capturing Veerappan, had murdered as many as 90 innocent people and subjected more than 60 women to sexual harassment.

A massive movement would be launched to mobilise public support for punishing errant STF personnel and the first meeting would be held in Kolathur in Mettur area soon, he said adding that resumption of STF operations would only complicate the problem.

Refuting criticisms that he and other human right activists had gone to the forest at the instance of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Nedumaran, a staunch supporter of the LTTE, made it clear that the militant organisation was in no way connected with the issue.

"Why should they indulge in such issues when they were fighting for their homeland"'' he asked.

Prof. Kalyani, who had accompanied Nedumaran in the rescue mission said Veerappan was honest and humane.

All the speakers, including the two emissaries, singled out the judiciary and a section of the press in their attacks.

Nakkeeran editor R R Gopal was conspicuous by his absence.

UNI

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How to nab Veerappan: Former TN DGP's speak out

The Rajakumar Abduction: complete coverage
The saga of Veerappan

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