MALA Lutchmanan, the doyenne of Tamil culture and a linguistic activist, died today. She was 64.
In May, Lutchmanan announced that she was leaving Lotus FM after presenting on the station for 28 years.
At the time, she said she looked forward to completing her Phd in education, travelling and publishing another book.
“Now I can travel overseas for lengthy periods without having to rush back home after two weeks to present my show,” she had said at the time.
“But on a serious note, I was ready to hand over the baton. The journey has been memorable. I will miss the listeners most. They had become like family and were my biggest driving force.”
Lutchmanan, of Yellowwood Park, presented Isai – Mazhai, meaning ‘A shower of sweet music’, on Fridays from 6pm to 7pm.
Other than gaining ardent fans and propagating the Tamil language, she travelled to countries such as India, Switzerland, Germany, France, London, Malaysia and Singapore; and met celebrities including actress Meena, singer Satya Prakash, music composer Anirudh Ravichander, playback singer SPB Charan, and Ram Kumar, the eldest son of the legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan.
In 2017, Lutchmanan wrote a book titled 10 000 Days – A Prisoner then President to coincide with Mandela’s birth anniversary.
She launched a Tamil version of his biography and said at the time: “Nobody should be denied reading the incredible story of Madiba in one’s own mother tongue.”
Lutchmanan was also a former educator, who worked at a school for learners with special educational needs.
A service to honour her life and bid her farewell will be held tomorrow from 1pm to 2.30pm at the Clare Estate Crematorium.