Largescale exodus as Veerappan threat perception looms large along TN border

Largescale exodus as Veerappan threat perception looms large along TN border
Yogi

CHAMRAJNAGAR, SEPT 13: Tamils along the Tamil Nadu border have been living in fear ever since Dr Rajkumar's abduction by Veerappan. A fear that has now grown with the burning down of two houses at Sidhannapura village recently.

Various forums are doing their best to hush it up but word gets around and the Tamils, particularly those in Ebisur, are not willing to leave anything to chance. They have already sent women in their families to the neighbouring state. At Bedumole village also, the women have left, leaving their belongings behind. Ammangoolipura, Nanjarga and Bammanahalli too are deserted. The pattern is the same. The women and young leave and it is left to the elderly to guard the houses.

Around 13 villages in the bordering district have been identified as sensitive areas by the police, villages that bore the brunt of the Cauvery riots in 1992.

According to the villagers, residents of lone houses and farmhouses in these areas have already left and ``each day the exodus to Tamil Nadu is rising steadily''.

A sad situation since this has been home to them for years. As Shanmuka of Dollipur says, though we have blended into the culture of the district and participate in all social programmes, whenever there is problem, ``We are victimised by vested interest,'' he added.

The linguistic minority, which accounts for around 56,000 in the district, has always felt threatened since the Cauvery riots and Rajkumar's abduction has only widened the wedge between the two communities.

There has been no major incident of looting and violence of the kind that were witnessed during the Cauvery riots but people here fear a repeat of those incidents. But police sources say it is not the people but vested forces who have been trying to capitalise on the Rajkumar issue, adding to the fear.

Lakshmi, a coolie, says Veerappan ``has nothing to do with the Tamils here and we are victimised for no reason''. She holds both the Chief Ministers -- S M Krishna and M Karunanidhi -- responsible for the impasse.

District SP Anne Gowda, admitted that two houses had been burnt down at Siddanapura but added that ``the police forces are ready to face any situation''. 35 mobile police platoons have been deployed and all police stations have been provided with mobile connections. So far, six persons have been arrested for carrying lethal weapons.

But a resident of Chikole Tamil Colony, Ramaswamy Selvadorai, has a different story to tell. He says the police patrol was insufficient as every tiny village was provided with two police constables who, he feared, would not be able to check a group of hooligans.

Chamrajnagar district Tamil Sangam vice-president Chinnaswamy Goundar downplayed the threat to the Tamils but says all precautionary steps have been taken since ``the memory of the Cauvery riots still lingers''.

One has only to look at Karunamba to know that that is a fact. Karunamba who has a daughter married in Ebisur has come all the way from Coimbatore to take here daughter back. Is that the only option people have here?