The brigand’s melting point is now at an all time low. At least this is the inference one can draw from his recent tape recorded message to civilisation, sent through the grateful hostages. These days Veerappan does not seem to need the services of the tribals for couriering his messages. After the brigand media cleared the communication hassles between him and the non-brigands, the Voice of Veerappan now tops the charts and is the listeners’ choice, at least for two Chief Ministers. The friendly press has also been supplied transcripts of the heart-rending drool, which we, the unfriendly media also decided to treat with due respect in a column which appears below. Before the brigand’s tears, after drenching his moustache and flooding jungles, reaches the mainstream to wash us also away in its tide we thought it prudent to give a bit of our mind to the powerless powers that be.
It is indeed heartening to see that the governments have gathered enough courage to set a deadline for the brigand. So far it has only been the other way round with the bandit dictating the terms. It is no doubt a great moral victory and the government has risen a few rungs up the self-respect ladder. But then, sirs, we do not still understand the wisdom of granting time till 31 October, that too when the brigand has no hostages in his custody, sorry hospitality. We are tempted to ask why the government is still hesitating to storm the forest and make a valiant attempt, in tune with their new found courage, to nab the elusive bandit. Of course, investigative journalists-turned-emissaries can certainly offer a few tips to the helpless authorities on the terrain and the possible habitats of the brigand.
We are also at a loss to understand why the government is still keen on the brigand surrendering, when such offers in the past had turned into damp squibs. Does it not occur to the government that giving time to Veerappan only helps him get a breather before launching his next strike? How many more times are the governments going to be caught napping while the brigand goes about kidnapping? We are also not sure if the government has taken enough precautions to prevent such an eventuality. Otherwise a few more hostages are sure to spend their Deepavali in the thickets, and return later with their brains washed by the brigand tale of tears and yes, with another cassette for his audience at the top.
The brigand, in his plea for amnesty, has, in an emotional upsurge, let slip a few statements which to us cynics come as confirmation of some apprehensions expressed through these columns. For one, the brigand claims that the emissary promised to get back to him in three days with ‘good news’ before getting into the car. Now we have never been informed officially so far, neither by the emissary nor by the governments that the brigand came as far as the car to see off the emissary and the hostages. On the contrary we have only been told that the brigand let them off in the forest and the emissary had to use all his navigation skills to make it to the civilisation. Or are we to believe that the dense forests gave way to the emissary’s car a la Moses of the Bible or Vasudeva of Krishna’s legend? In any case, the emissary’s claim that they had to trek it all the way to their vehicle falls flat in the light of the brigand’s revelation and in fact calls for detailed probe into the former’s links and the secret of his ready access at will to the latter’s den.
Also, the brigand laments about the Chief Minister reneging on the promises made to him. The Chief Minister on his part claims that the brigand might have misunderstood the meaning of the word amnesty. We also do believe that there is a possibility that their lexicons may not tally and there is room for distortion when the Dravidian ‘chaste’ Tamil gets translated to the brigand’s native tongue, though it is only Tamil all the way. But is it not a fact that the language barrier notwithstanding, the brigand was certainly made to feel free in the new regime, and an impression was conveyed not only to the brigand but also to the people of the land that there now also a favourable climate for the brigand to join the mainstream?
The emissary, who has since resigned from that job though not from the continuing felicitations, prefers to maintain a discreet distance from the entire episode now. His refusal to take up the errand for the second time, despite all the lures it offers, has had eye-brows raising and with reason, especially with the brigand initially demanding his presence. The emissary’s refusal to answer to the summons of the brigand can only be taken to be confirmation of the former’s fears of reprisal for not keeping the ‘promises’ made to the brigand. Of course the brigand has now dispensed with the need for the emissary and has announced that he would deal directly with the governments, a move which actually the governments should have taken.
The government’s ultimatum must have surely reached the brigand’s ears by now. He might either consider the government’s offer, call it a day and retire from active poaching and butchering or might just bide his time till the next victim to appear on his horizon for him to re-enact the now familiar drama. Either way it does not make sense for the government to remain idle and wait for the brigand to respond. We hope the government understands that Veerappan’s track record does not entitle him to any benefit of doubt.
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