Well known Tamil magazine group Kumudam is to be split into two.
N Ram, Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, who acted as a mediator to settle the dispute over the management of the publication group between Dr A Jawahar Palaniappan and its Managing Director P Varadarajan, said the two sides have reached an "amicable settlement." The separation process would now go ahead on the basis of independent professional assessment and result in a final settlement, Ram said in a statement.
Palaniappan is the grandson of SAP Annamali, founder editor of Kumudum weekly, founded in 1947, while Varadaran is the son of PV Parthasarathy, who was associated with the group from its early days as manager. Palaniappan had two months ago lodged a police complaint alleging irregularities in the management of the group after which Varadarajan was arrested. He was later released.
According to the agreement which came after several mediated meetings over a four-month period, two magazines, which are currently part of the Kumudam group, would go to Varadarajan and to his brother Dr P Srinivasan. The remaining seven publications of the group will be with Palaniappan and his mother Kothai Annamalai.
