Chennai: Readers of Thuglak, the fiery political satire magazine on the lines of Charlie Hebdo in France, who are grieving the demise of their uncompromising and fearless editor Cho Ramaswamy, now have some good news. His close friend and veteran columnist S Gurumurthy will be the new editor of the magazine.
“It is impossible to find a replacement for Cho, but I will try my best not to disappoint his readers”, said Gurumurthy, sounding modest, when asked about the news that he was taking charge as Thuglak’s editor.
Cho had sold the magazine sometime back to Kumudam, whose owner Varadarajan insisted he continue as the editor as his editorial and Q&A were the USPs of the magazine popular with the literate middle and upper classes.
After Cho’s death, it is said Varadarajan approached Gurumurthy with the request that he succeed Cho in the editor’s chair.
Sources said Gurumurthy told Varadarajan that he must value the views of the team of journalists, trained well by Cho, who have been working in the magazine. It was only after all the Thuglak journalists unanimously appealed to him to take charge that Gurumurthy agreed to be the editor.
Cho had once told this writer that if a short list of just five most brilliant persons in India was drawn, Gurumurthy would be on it. The late editor had such great respect for his long-time friend.
“Thuglak readers like me have been shattered by their editor’s demise. I have shaped my life just by reading Cho’s editorials. I am happy that Gurumurthy will succeed him as editor. Like Cho, he too is fearless, has a sharp mind and is a true patriot”, said diehard Thuglak/Cho loyalist Narendran of Kumarapalayam.
