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Politics Plus SAFE PASSAGE FOR MADANI? By S.R. Ramanujan What will be the consequences of a decision to shift Madani to a hospital? This shift could only mean a ?safe passage? for Madani to escape from law. This is yet another case of the Executive turning a blind eye to the directions of the Apex Court which refused Madani?s bail plea and medical care in a hospital. It was just before the Assembly elections in Kerala and Tamil Nadu this year, both the LDF and the UDF joined hands to pass a unanimous resolution in a special sitting of the House seeking the release of Abdul Nasser Madani who is lodged in a Coimbatore jail. Of course, the liberals in the country did not take note of such an unprecedented resolution for the release of an individual. Who is Madani and why should both the ruling combine and opposition at that time should join hands for his release? To refresh the memory of readers, Madani is not just an ordinary accused awaiting completion of trial. One-legged Madani is the founder of Islamic Sevak Sangh in 1990 and has been in regular contact with Pakistan?s ISI. During the run-up to the elections in 1998, he masterminded a serial blast in Coimbatore where BJP leader L.K. Advani was supposed to address an election rally. 59 people were killed in the blasts and Shri Advani had a miraculous escape because he arrived late at the venue. Madani is also the founder of an extremist organization Al Umma which has been spreading terror in the southern states. He is also the President of People?s Democratic Party in Kerala. Obviously, he must be having hordes of admirers among the Muslims in Kerala as he hails from God?s own country and his release before the elections would have been a morale booster for both the dispensations to woo the Muslim electorate which accounts for more than 25 per cent of the Kerala?s voting population. AIADMK government did not oblige the Kerala politicians then. Now that there is change of regime in Tamil Nadu, the Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan made a request to his equally atheistic counterpart in Tamil Nadu for good medical care to Madani who is among the 166 conspirators facing trial. M. Karunanidhi, who is also holding the portfolio of Minority Affairs, was quick to react. He directed the prison authorities in Coimbatore to inspect the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for locating a safe block for Madani. Before this goes to print, Madani will be probably be shifted to the hospital block. After all, who does not know the track record of Shri Karunanidhi in dealing with lawless elements in society. Let us not forget the fact that he was one of the great patrons of LTTE, as a result of which he had to be thrown out of power. He also played the role of a godfather for sandalwood smuggler Veerappan and all the audio and video cassettes used to be released from his office. So, Karunanidhi has great love for such violent forces and he will be too happy to oblige Kerala Chief Minister. If he really wanted to play fair, he would have first verified the health condition of Madani and whether the treatment provided for him in the prison is adequate or not through an independent medical team What will be the consequences of a decision to shift Madani to a hospital? This shift could only mean a ?safe passage? for Madani to escape from law. This is yet another case of the Executive turning a blind eye to the directions of the Apex Court which refused Madani?s bail plea and medical care in a hospital. There are umpteen instances where the terrorists or left extremists used health care as a ruse to escape from prisons or to jump bail. The PWG leader, late Kondapalli Seetharamiah?s case in 1982 is an example as to how these extremists who wage a war against the state and the Constitution, use the loopholes in the law to escape from the very same law. Kondapalli was arrested in the Secunderabad conspiracy case and lodged in Musheerabad jail. He got himself admitted in the Osmania hospital on the very same humanitarian grounds which Achuthanandan now seeks for Madani. Kondapalli?s comrades in arms entered the hospital ward posing themselves as doctors and ?escorted? him out of the hospital, killing a constable who resisted the move. That was the last the Police could lay their hands on him until the complete collapse of his health when he made himself a sitting duck for the Police. But it was too late by then, since in the interrugnum he might have been responsible for the brutal killing of hundreds of so-called ?class enemies? and making the PWG a dreaded force not only in Andhra Pradesh but in the neighbouring states as well. Now, there will only be an ?action replay? by Abdul Nasser Madani which will be scripted by the legendary script writer of Tamil Nadu, Muthuvel Karunanidhi.

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