Veerappan's better half tells the other side

Chennai: Notorious killer, brigand, sandalwood smuggler, poacher -that's what most people think of Veerappan. Muthulakshmi, his wife, however, tells TOI's Neeraja Ramesh that Veerappan was an affectionate husband and a person who was never given an opportunity to right his wrongs. Presently writing a book on Veerappan in an attempt to tell her side of the story, Muthulakshmi blames the Karnataka government for making him a scapegoat.
What prompted you to write a book about your husband?
I was only 15 years old when I got married and life with him was not easy.There were days when we have gone without food and other basic needs in the forest. My second daughter was born in the forest and I have so many memories of my husband I want to share with others. They say Veerappan killed elephants and cut sandalwood trees, but the truth is he never benefitted from it. There were many big people who enjoyed the fruits of his hard work and he was made a scapegoat.
You received a compensation of '25 lakh for giving rights for the film 'Veerappan'. Why did you sue Ram Gopal Varma when you had already signed a contract with him?
I was tricked into signing an agreement that I was unaware of. I had not taken a lawyer with me but a friend of mine, who is a documentary filmmaker, had accompanied me. Even he was taken aback when he came to know that RGV had taken the copyright for the Tamil version of the movie even though I wanted to release the Tamil version.He is a smooth talker who went back on his words.
A couple of years ago you told TOI that you are (brave) Eerappa's wife, not (killer) Veerappan's wife. Did you ever disapprove of your husband's ways?
He may not be a hero but he never ill-treated me. I am proud to have been his wife. On the insistence of I and my father, he promised that he won't give up his life in the forest. We had even planned to move to the north, but things started worsening. My husband said that if we leave the forest, we will be either killed or imprisoned for life. I tried my best to convince him, but couldn't.
You have said several times that only you can tell the real story of Veerappan. In your upcoming book, if Veerappan is the hero, who are the villains?
Yes, only I can tell the real story. Did you know my husband was chained like a dog at the age of 12 for no fault of his? Somebody stole an elephant's tusks and he was tortured by forest officers on suspicion. Perhaps, that was one of the reasons why he turned violent later. He must have been severely affected and cultivated a sense of hatred towards the rich and the mighty . My book and the film will highlight that he was just not a tyrant in the forest but one who lived the life of a sanyasi. You have been critical of former STF chief K Vijay Kumar and his upcoming book. Why? Vijay Kumar came to the scene much later. It was Walter Devaram who was heading the operation to nab my husband. If he had written a book, I would have accepted it.
It is widely believed that Vijay Kumar was very tactical, deploying spies and extracting information from villagers. Do you agree?
Yes. There was this woman called Priya whom I befriended. We became friends and I started sharing a lot of personal things with her. But one day I was told that she was a police inform er. Vijay Kumar sent four cops in dis guise to work for my husband. But Veerappan knew they were spies and instead of killing them sent them back as he was scared that his relatives will be killed in revenge.
What was life with Veerappan like?
I lived with him only or four years. We got married in 1990 and I was with him in the forest till 1994. After that wh at fo l l owe d w a s struggle, insults and jail life. But, these hardships have made me strong er and today I can face any kind of situa tion. People think I have mon ey, but that is not the case. Why do you think I asked you to call me? I have not even recharged my phone?
You have managed to keep your daughters away from the public eyes. How is their future shaping up?
Yes I kept them away from media and public glare. Life has not been a bed of roses for them. Both grew up separately and are not very close to each other. Since childhood they have been ridiculed for being Veerappan's daughters and it's not easy to forget the bitter past. But, we are making efforts to move on.