Paper no. 139
VEERAPPAN VS THE STATE
by B.Raman
At a time when the Governments of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have
been dealing, to the best of their ability, with the delicate situation created by the
kidnapping of a popular Kannada film star by Veerappan, it would be inappropriate and
inadvisable to comment on their actions.
Such comments, however well-intentioned, might add to their difficulties and make the
situation even more delicate. Retired officers and out of office politicians,
writing or speaking from the safe sanctuary of retirement, and journalists seeking to use
their bravado comments of how they would have handled the situation were they still in
office or service---fortunately for them, they are not-- as good copy should exercise some
restraint.
Whatever be the ultimate denouement of the case, it is going to make the enforcement of
law and order and the handling of terrorists, brigands and mafias even more difficult in
the future than it is today, because of the likely copy-cat effect of the present case on
these elements.
Now is not the time for a critical analysis of the present kidnapping and the way it is
being handled by the two State Governments.
However, the need for restraint in the present case need not deter one from commenting on
some general aspects of the failure of the Police of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to bring
this brigand to justice for so many years.
This has considerably damaged the credibility of the administration of these two States in
the eyes of the general public.
Recently, while commuting in a city bus, this writer overheard some passengers discussing
in the most contemptuous manner what they described as the impotence of the police in
dealing with this brigand, who has managed to hold to ransom the law and order machinery
of two of the most otherwise well-administered States of India.
One of the passengers remarked sarcastically: " The only effective solution to the
Veerappan problem is to grant him amnesty and make him the Director-General of Police
(DGP) of Tamil Nadu or Karnataka."
The severe knocking, which the credibility of the Police of these two States has received
in the eyes of the public as a result of their perceived helplessness, should be a matter
for concern to the political leadership and the administrators.
This writer has done all his service in the North and, as such, does not have a real idea
of the ground difficulties faced by the police in tracking him down. One is surprised to
know that even the much-vaunted Border Security Force (BSF) was ineffective in this
matter.
The forest cover in Tamil Nadu and the local topographical conditions cannot be more
difficult than they are in states such as Madhya Pradesh, ravaged in the past by many
dacoit gangs, but the Police in Madhya Pradesh, despite their educational and other
limitations as compared to the police of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, have had better success
in dealing with dacoits and brigands than the police of the southern States.
There have been instances when dacoits and brigands such as Man Singh had held the State
police there to ransom, as Veerappan has been doing here, but, ultimately, the Police,
with some help from the Centre, was able to either bring them to justice or neutralise
them.
Why are the Police of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, despite their excellent training and
motivation and their rich experience, unable to find a way of neutralising Veerappan? Is
it due to any patronage enjoyed by him in the local political and administrative milieu or
to a lack of political and administrative will to deal with him ruthlessly or other
reasons? One does not know.
This writer noticed a disconcerting aspect of the problem while attending a seminar on
national security earlier this year, in which many serving and young Indian Police and
Administrative officers from all over India participated.
A young IPS officer from one of the two Southern states facing this brigandage presented a
paper on Veerappan. To one's surprise, the paper had the effect on the audience of
projecting Veerappan as invincible.
The officer detailed how effective is Veerappan's intelligence set-up, how he enjoys
public support in the areas of his operation, how he looks after his supporters and
followers and eliminates ruthlessly those double-crossing him, how well-trained are his
followers etc.
A serving officer of a central police organisation stopped him midway through his
presentation with the following remarks, made half-seriously and half-jocularly: "You
shouldn't be presenting a paper like this. Better shred this. If your political leadership
reads this, it might think that if Veerappan has all the qualities attributed by you to
him, he is a fit case for Padma Bhushan!"
This is a worrisome aspect of the Stockholm Syndrome making its appearance amongst young
police officers grappling unsuccessfully with this brigand.
Thwarted at every step by Veerappan, they end up by developing a secret admiration for his
capabilities and even a certain sympathy for him and by convincing themselves that nothing
can be done about him.
If the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Governments have not yet done so, they should share their
difficulties with the central intelligence agencies and consult them as to whether they
have or they can suggest suitable technical means of dealing with Veerappan. Use of
appropriate technology against Veerappan is an aspect, which does not appear to have
received adequate attention so far.
(27-8-00)
(The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India
and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. E-mail: corde@vsnl.com)
