Honouring a Legacy of Teaching and Leadership
- Rivett '25
- Nov 4, 2025
- 3 min read
Nisha A L & Harini R, III B A English
The Department of English, WCC, organised the annual Dr Rita Jacob Cherian Memorial Endowment Lecture on August 19, 2025, at Lucy Peabody Auditorium. The lecture was held in memory of the late Dr. Rita Jacob Cherian, former Principal of Women’s Christian College and Head of the Department of English, celebrating her enduring contribution to WCC and literature.
The programme commenced at 12:20 p.m. with students from all 10 departments of the college’s first shift in attendance. The event opened with a prayer song, rendered by the students of the English Department, followed by the Welcome Address delivered by the Principal of Women’s Christian college, Dr. Lilian I Jasper.
Ms. Sweetlyn Moses, Head of the UG English department, presented a warm introduction to Dr. Cherian, recalling her vision and legacy. Next Ms. Anna Mathew, Faculty of the Department, introduced the distinguished speaker of the day, Ms. Nirmala Lakshman, Publisher and Chairperson of The Hindu Group of Publications.
The lecture titled “Literature and Life: Journeys of a writer” was delivered by Ms Nirmala Lakshman, a proud WCC alumna of the English Department. Acknowledging the presence of dignitaries including Dr. Cherian’s family and the former Head of the Department of English, Ms. Jasmine Sally Devadhas, Ms. Lakshman expressed her gratitude to the college for the invitation, describing her years at WCC as “the best of the formative years” of her life.
Paying tribute to Dr. Cherian, whom she described as a “marvellous communicator” with high expectations and innate kindness, Ms Lakshman reflected on the influence of her teachers and her own leadership experience as a student, serving as the Student Secretary in her second year, and President in her third year. She noted that her journey as a writer began long before she identified with the word “writer”, nurtured by her love for reading and encouragement from her mother to visit libraries in her younger years.
Emphasising the transformative power of literature, she observed that “stories are not escapes from reality but entrances to it,” stressing the importance of active reading, consistent writing and disciplined practice as essential for a writer's growth. She urged students to observe the world attentively, stating that “Discipline is the quiet partner of talent.”
Drawing on her journalistic career, she explained how her work evolved, leading to contributions to The Hindu that shaped it the way we see it today, complete with the creation of relatively new sections and revamps that are most beloved by readers, such as The Hindu Literary Review, Metro Plus, The Editorial Page and The Hindu’s Children's Magazine Young World Club.
Speaking about her book “Degree Coffee by the Yard: A Short Biography of Madras”, Ms Lakshman explained how writing captures the essence of people and the ‘unique flavours’ of a city, fondly recalling her life in Chennai.
Describing her literary approach to the subject of Journalism, she introduced her recent work titled The Tamils: A Portrait of a Community (2025), which chronicles Tamil epigraphs, histories and cultures inherent to the fabric of Tamil society, and explores the influences of religions such as Islam and Christianity in Tamil landscape and society. The book also calls to mind Tamil freedom fighters, and reclaims historical markers of Tamil identity such as the Chola murals and the ancient Tamil excavations found recently in Keezhadi, Sivagangai.
Ms. Elizabeth Rahel, Faculty of the Department of English shared, “What struck me was her really practical advice about writing. She suggested writing for about 15-20 minutes every day to improve productivity.”
The event concluded with a closing address by Ms. Jemima Farrar, Faculty of the Department of English, who put in a nutshell some of the memorable insights from Ms. Nirmala Lakshman’s lecture. She extended gratitude to everyone who had worked for the success of this programme.
As the Assembly session came to a close, the Alma Mater echoed through the hall, carrying with it a shared spirit of community and a promise of greater heights to come.
