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Either
way the two states are in a pincer. If they yield to his demand
for a full pardon, they will be pilloried. If Veerappan harms Rajkumar,
the public outrage would be difficult to handle.
The terrain: Veerappan is the master
The 6,000-sq-km thickly forested area on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu
border is the region that Veerappan operates in. Born and brought
up in these jungles, he knows them well and is able to move quickly
because of his small gang. Has been known to even booby-trap certain
areas with landmines.
The demands: Asking for the sky
The point of contention is amnesty in all the 135 cases against
him. He's asked for it before but both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
have refused, saying a jail term is mandatory in case of conviction.
Wants a rehabilitation packet that will cost the state Rs 2 crore.
Has also demanded immediate release of his associates in Mysore
jail.
The negotiation: Powerless states
Veerappan's deliberate attempt to keep a low profile for over a
year seemed to have lulled everyone. The kidnapping has left Karnataka
Chief Minister S.M. Krishna and his Tamil Nadu counterpart M. Karunanidhi
with few options. Neither of them condemned the abduction and instead
asked the special task forces, set up to capture Veerappan, to lay
off. They also send R. Gopal, editor of a Tamil weekly, who had
met Veerappan in another hostage crisis, as their emissary to negotiate
Rajkumar's release.
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Can
Bangaru Laxman do for the BJP what Lieberman has done for Al Gore, questions
S. Prasannarajan in
India
should learn the kung-fu of business or get hammered by China after it
joins the WTO, says Sudeep Chakravarti in
"It
is a frustration that India and Pakistan have not grown up enough to pull
their heads out of the sand." Read an exclusive interview with 
