School teacher and broadcaster presents Nelson Mandela in Tamil

Lotus FM presenter Mala Lutchmanan is taking Nelson Mandela to Tamils worldwide.

The linguistic expert and school teacher has translated information from four autobiographies of the former president into Tamil - among the top 20 most spoken languages in the world - to produce "10 000 Days - A Prisoner then President".

"Having lived during the time of such an astute statesman and having met him‚ I am impelled to share this integral part of world history with the rest of the Tamil diaspora. The Tamils are avid readers‚ yet not many are familiar with the life history and the struggles of Nelson Mandela because reading material in Tamil on Mandela is sorely lacking‚" she said.

"Hence‚ this publication in Tamil will add to the illustrious list of books on Nelson Mandela already translated into different world languages." The book was launched at the second International Tamil Writers' Conference in Chennai last month‚ ahead of its local unveiling on Mandela Day next week.

"The book was extremely well-received at the launch. The Tamil diaspora looks at South Africa as the stepchild of the family. They think we don't have much culture or interest in the language. It was an eye opener for many as they know that there is a Tamil community in South Africa but they didn't know it's a vibrant community‚" said Lutchmanan.

In 2015 Lutchmanan was recognised by the National Speaker of Parliament for a CD of her 67 favourite Nelson Mandela quotes translated into Tamil.

Her work to keep Madiba's legacy alive has taught her a few life lessons.

"When I started translating this book‚ I thought: what a mammoth task. But‚ as I got into it‚ I started enjoying it and learning from the story that‚ if you believe in a cause‚ like the way Mandela did‚ you must fight for it and keep fighting until you get it‚" said Lutchmanan.

Last week she wrote to Mandela's widow Graça Machel‚ requesting an opportunity to hand over a copy of the book.

"I am waiting for a response. I would like Mandela's family to see that his story is now in Tamil‚" Lutchmanan said.

-TimesLIVE