For Maaran's outfit the forest was a safe base to hide. Taking a leaf out of Che Guevara's book, Maaran split the gang into small groups to indulge in armed outbursts. They hold the state to ransom and when it is compelled to meet the demands, they tell their followers that it is a major victory for their movement. When the government comes down heavily on them and kills some of their cadre, they portray these deaths as sacrifices. In June 1998, extremists belonging to the Tamil Nadu Liberation Army, Tamil Nation Retrieval Troops and Tamil National Liberation Force were seen in Veerappan's company.
Photo shows a hooded militant.
Compensation to the Tamil victims who died in 1991 riots on the Cauvery issue or making Tamil the medium of instruction in schools , as Veerappan has demanded in his charter, were never Veerappan's causes. Now they are, because they are Maaran's causes. It is completely believable that Veerappan himself is a captive at the hands of the Tamil militants. Rajkumar's kidnap is seen as a larger plan to achieve an independent Tamil nation. Maaran is known to be a brilliant operator.