Marans, Karunanidhi family bury hatchet

Chennai, Dec 1 (IANS) Tamil Nadu's first political family buried their hatchet as the estranged grand-nephews of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, Kalanidhi and Dayanidhi Maran were welcomed back into the fold Monday evening at the DMK headquarters.

The Marans posed for photographs with their uncles, M.K. Azhagiri and M.K. Stalin, the sons of Karunanidhi, and grand-uncle Karunanidhi.

Karunanidhi refused to answer media questions on the reasons for their year-long quarrel and then the sudden reunion.

Reacting to a query on assurances of continued unity from the Marans, Karunanidhi quipped: 'The question is inclusive of its answer.'

'My heart has sweet feelings, and my eyes are dimmed (with emotion). This development came about due to the efforts of (M.K.) Azhagiri and (M.K.) Stalin,' Karunanidhi added.

The Marans did not meet reporters.

On Nov 21, the Marans had released a 14-page signed letter to the press, alleging that charges were being levelled against them by Karunanidhi due to the 'instigation of selfish elements' in the family.

'We would have borne political allegations silently. Our forced response is due to the questioning of our integrity, honesty and gratitude (to the family and the party itself)... As if the injuries inflicted on us so far aren't enough, the present charges amount to dynamiting our heart,' the letter signed by media baron Kalanidhi Maran said.

This was in rejoinder to an open letter addressed to DMK party workers by Karunanidhi earlier that day in which he charged Sun TV, owned by Kalanidhi Maran, of carrying out a conspiracy against the DMK's union IT minister A. Raja and state minister Arcot Veerasamy.

A few months ago, Azhagiri had told a television channel that Dayanidhi Maran, former union IT minister, will never be allowed to return to the family.

Dayanidhi Maran resigned as union minister in May 2007 after the Dinakaran, a Tamil daily newspaper owned by the Sun group, published a survey that said most people favoured Karunanidhi's younger son M.K. Stalin as his likely successor to Stalin's elder brother M.K. Azhagiri.

This resulted in Azhagiri's supporters burning down the office of Dinakaran in the city of Madurai, and resulted in the death of three employees and injuries to several others.

Following pressure from the party, Dayanidhi resigned as minister.