Veerrappan a mix of many things

Free Web Hosting Provider - Web Hosting - E-commerce - High Speed Internet - Free Web Page

With not even an automatic weapon to boast of, notorious sandalwood smuggler and dreaded killer Veerappan continues to mock at the law-enforcing agencies but behind the cold-blood looks that he has, the brigand is a mix of so many things.

A pious man that he is, Veerappan worships the `forest god', is a good dramatist, has humour but more than anything has the mind to reform. "If Veerappan is going back on surrendering, everyone except he is to be blamed," says Gopal, the firebrand editor of the Tamil bi-weekly "Nakeeran". Veerappan who has killed more than 132 people, mostly security personnel and forest officials, during the 28 years of his forest life, has an uncanny way of detecting possible danger.

Veerappan can detect danger by observing a flying bird,. It is as if the fowls of the air also help the brigand like the thousands of tribals in the 6,000 square kilometre forest area in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to warn him of danger. According to Veerappan's logic, a bird flies enjoying its freedom or flies out of fear.It is this fear he observes and reacts instantaneously.. "He knows the forests like the back of his palm," says Gopal. Though the police crack their brains to somehow get Veerappan `dead or alive', the 58-year-old sandalwood smuggler continues with his routine life in the forest - trekking nearly 15 kilometres everyday, enjoying eating deer meat and mocking at a pathetic police who just cannot dare to reach him.

According to R.R. Gopal,from his return from the forest, new facts on forest brigand Veerappan have come to light. The sandalwood smuggler and wildlife poacher has now transformed into a Tamil chauvinist, says the Nakkeeran editor.

By his own admission, Veerappan has now become a Tamil extremist. “I am now a Tamil extremist. I will fight for my people,” the brigand told Gopal, who admits that the 50-year-old outlaw has changed since he met him last.

Gopal says Veerappan speaks like the “language of a naxalite”. When he speaks, he frequently refers to “my party’s central committee”. He often quotes an international Marxist leader in his talks, says the editor.

Gopal admitted that Veerappan has “extremists” in his camp, but refused to comment any further. The Nakkeeran editor said that men in masks were constantly accompanying the brigand, who often consults them on important issue.

Dr Sanjay Chugh: “First and foremost a man with Veerappan’s track record can hardly be called predictable by any degree and therefore it is next to impossible to predict what he might do next. He is not your average or normal person by any means, rather he is one of the most dreaded and biggest criminals we have today. His mindset is unlike most other ordinary criminals and there is every chance of his reacting in a very unexpected manner.

“There is a very high chance of the ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ coming into play in this case as well, when the victims themselves start sympathising with the captor and justifying his motives. Dr Rajkumar can also justify Veerappan’s motives once he is out of danger and the possibility of that cannot be ruled out.

“The first reason why Veerappan struck this time, could be because he wants to prove that as usual he can get away with it and leave the government guessing until the last moment about his moves- a carrot and stick policy which he is notorious for. The second reason could be to extort money from the noted film personality and the last but not the least could be to prove a point to his gang members, the public and the government that he has not lost his touch and wanting to refresh public memory about his dastardly deeds.

“The only way of negotiating with Veerappan on this case in particular and others in general can be that of extreme diplomacy and tact, because as is common knowledge, he is very unpredictable and a false move can turn everything upside down.”