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Veerappan switches loyalties from Nakkeeran to Nettrikkan

N Sathiya Moorthyin Madras

The 'surrender drama' of sandalwood smuggler Veerappan is caught once again in a 'media war' in Tamil Nadu. If the earlier one involved Nakkeeran and India Today, Act Two involves Nakkeeran and another Tamil pulp-magazine Nettrikkan.

Interestingly, both Nakkeeran and Nettrikkan have their title-origins in the same legend. The story goes that Tamil poet-savant Nakkeeran challenged Lord Shiva, considered the protector of the language, to a debate, and declared that even if the god in human form opened his third eye to burn the poet, what he had said would still be wrong. Nettrikkan refers to the third eye.

Now comes the present. Though Veerappan had used Nakkeeran, its editor R Rajagopal and correspondent Sivasubramaniam as the conduit for communication with the Tamil Nadu government earlier, now he has chosen Nettrikkan, its editor A S Mani, and correspondent Muthu alias 'Paayum Puli' (leaping tiger). Incidentally, Mani, like Veerappan, belongs to the Vanniar community, and the forest brigand is said to have a strong sense of community pride.

According to sources -- which Veerappan himself has confirmed in the cassette he has sent through his three men -- he lost faith in Nakkeeran and Gopal after the last round of negotiations last year. That was when Gopal and Sivasubramaniam went into the jungles to secure the release of nine Karnataka forest officials, on the promise of ensuring his surrender.

Later came the kidnapping of two environmentalists, in whose release Gopal would not interfere -- through, they too were released ultimately on Veerappan's own volition.

Tired of waiting, and not convinced any more about the Nakkeeran team's capabilities to ensure his surrender, Veerappan seems to have chosen Mani and company. Sources say Veerappan was hurt that Gopal could not keep his side of the bargain, struck when they met in early 1996. Indications are that Veerappan's demand for a Rs 50-million ransom for the release of the nine hostages later -- which was not officially met -- had something to do with this.

For all this, however, this is not the first time that Veerappan is caught in a 'media war' of sorts. If anything, he gained national attention after the 'media war' involving Nakkeeran and India Today, both claiming ownership to the first set of audio cassettes recorded by Sivasubramaniam.

Both claimed that Sivasubramaniam was in their employ. There was also another pulp-publication, the now-defunct Police Seithi (police information), which even showed letters written by Sivasubramaniam to the effect that he was their stringer in the region.

After being with India Today for some time, Sivasubramaniam is now in the employ of Nakkeeran. He even filed an affidavit before the Press Council, that he had nothing to do with the India Today investigations.

Indications are that Veerappan has launched some kind of a 'fishing expedition' by letting three of his men surrender. Police sources say that two of the three, however, were only doing menial jobs for the forest brigand, and possibly did not even know to handle weapons. They, it is said, had wanted to surrender even earlier.

"By sending them out now, with his own message, Veerappan has ensured that they land in the police, without running away. And by sending a cassette, he wants to see the reaction of the state government to the possibility of his surrender, and how the police handles the three."

Veerappan is keen on surrendering to the Tamil Nadu police, without having to face the grudge of their Karnataka counterparts, who have lost heavily in their fights to capture him. For his part, however, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has ignored Veerappan, letting officials handle his three men, his cassette and conduits.

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