COMMENT I had no idea what shape P Uthayakumar would be in when I visited him with his wife and her family recently. I consider Uthayakumar a friend and we had spent many hours arguing his position and mine, that we had reached an equilibrium in our relationship as far as our politics was concerned.

My former profession allowed me interaction with the so-called demi monde of society and visiting prisons to confer with clients was not something I was unused to. I often remind people that it is a completely different world andthat prisoner and guard are both friend and tormentor, depending on the situation. There are many who do not understand this.