'A research student engaged in serious academic work needs to have a formal and meaningful outlet through seminars and journals'

On English: A Research Journal

This post is the second and final part in our series on the scholarly Research Journal published by the Research Department of English, Madras Christian College (Autonomous), Chennai.

English: A Research Journal was founded in the year 1986-87, which also coincided with the 150th year celebrations of the College.

Hence the 150th year logo that’s to the top left of this page.

Well, English: A Research Journal was born out of the personal initiative of Dr. P. Rajani, Department of English, MCC, who also became the Journal’s founding Editor.

Eminent scholars – Dr. Claramma Xavier and Dr. R. S. Chandraleka have also been part of the Journal’s Editorial Board.

On a very heart-warming note, I came to know that the journal was almost entirely funded by him and his family, with solid academic support from Dr. Rajagopalan and Dr. Nirmal Selvamony, who’ve been a great source of support to him, by helping him edit the essays. Dr. Nirmal Selvamony was one of the regular contributors of essays to this journal as well.

Pranams to their commitment, devotion and dedication!

The Editorial note by Prof. Rajani to this introductory volume, beautifully sets out the scope of the Journal in a nutshell –

Here goes –

A research student engaged in serious academic work needs to have a formal and meaningful outlet through seminars and journals. While the former need is sufficiently met, the dearth of literary journals in the Madras University area has virtually stifled research publication. This journal is, therefore, founded to promote research-oriented writing among staff and students of the English Department of the college.

This venture is a modest beginning and we hope that it will grow into a full-fledged journal and encourage more significant research studies in the Department. The articles collected in this inaugural issue are mostly by young scholars for whom this is the first serious attempt at writing research papers. Shortcomings, if any, and there are likely to be some, may be attributed to the critical inexperience of the contributors. Nevertheless, it is a laudable attempt, and likely to inspire more writing.

In the absence of any common theme running through these papers no attempt has been made to arrange them thematically. Most of the essays in the present collection deal with individual works providing a rich variety of study, and focus attention on some aspect of the work under consideration. If the essay on Plath’s letters appears to be impressionistic, those that deal with Steinbeck, Orwell, Orton, Mamet and Lawrence aim at a central governing idea systematically worked out. The essays on Narayan and Williams are of a general nature hinting at the way their works are to be interpreted. Dr. Francis Soundarraj’s contribution would be of interest to lovers of linguistics, while Professor Nirmal Kumar’s essay has an appeal of a different kind.

This journal would not have been possible but for the generous monetary assistance given by the various business establishments. We are, indeed, beholden to them and hope that in years to come business would promote the cause of academics,

signs off Dr. P. Rajani on the Editorial note to this introductory volume.

And the journal saw its final volume in the years 1998 – 1999.

[On an aside, Dr. Rajani (b. 26 December 1939) retired in the year 1998, after 30 years of devoted and dedicated service in MCC]. 

This final Volume had Dr. V. Rajagopalan, Dr. Nirmal Selvamony, Dr. P. Rajani and Dr. P. S. Dorai as its Editors.

Excerpts from the Editorial Note –

The Department of English at Madras Christian College promotes Women’s Studies at three different levels – as course content of foundational second language for all undergraduates, as a course in Women’s Writing for undergraduates majoring in English, and as an optional paper on Women’s Writing for postgraduates in English. In fact, the Department has all the resources necessary for running a centre for Women’s Writing which could provide opportunities for offering courses (leading to a diploma or even a degree) and research.

The Department’s engagement with Women’s Studies can be strengthened not only by stocking books on the subject, but also by conducting seminars and workshops on the theme. With this in mind, the Department conducted a seminar on “Women and Social Justice” on 1st and 2nd March, 1999 at the college.

The presentations were made by scholars drawn from different disciplines – development studies (Dr. Anandhi, Institute of Development Alternatives, Chennai), Tamilology (Dr. R. Vijayalakshmi, International Institute of Tamil Studies, Chennai), Sociology (Dr. Lakshmanan Sabaratnam, Davidson College, Davidson, NC, USA), creative writing (Mrs. Rajam Krishnan, Tamil Novelist), and, in deed, English (Dr. C. T. Indra, Head of the Department of English, University of Madras; Dr. Rathi Jaffer, English Studies Officer, The British Council, Chennai, Mrs. Meenakshi Shivram, Guest Lecturer, English Department, University of Madras; Dr. Manohar Samuel, and Dr. Nirmal Selvamony of the English Department of Madras Christian College).

From different perspectives the seminar papers examined the forces (such as caste, race, culture, political power, and custom which disempower women insidiously and openly) by problematizing them in specific social and literary contexts…

We thank those who presented papers in the seminar (the major resource for the present volume) and also the seminar participants. We thank Dr. P. S. Dorai (former Head of the Department of English, Madras Christian College) and Dr. A. Vishnu Bhat (Head, Department of English, Madras Christian College) for having been very supportive in all the Department projects concerning Women’s Studies, including the seminar on “Women and Social Justice”. Needless to say that without the generous patronage of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, the journal could not have been published at all. A special word of thanks goes to Dr. Mrs. Achamma Mathai (Convener of Women’s Studies) for the encouragement and all the help she extended at the different stages of the progress of this journal. We are also grateful to Dr. P. Rajani (Visiting Professor, Department of English, University of Madras) for his paper, and to Prof. Lakshmanan Sabaratnam for collaborating on the paper, ‘Awareness Gendered’.

We hope this journal will help build up not only the Department’s library but also the academic programmes and projects in the area of Women’s Writing in Madras Christian College,

signs off the Editorial note to this Volume.

Would love to sign off on this post with a very insightful observation made by Dr. Maria Preethi Srinivasan, Head, Department of English, Queen Mary’s College (Autonomous), Chennai.

Says Dr. Preethi,

I would like to add that writing while you research is important because writing is a cognitive activity. It’s not about putting it all together after you have researched. Drafting, goes through several phases. Elucidating ideas, collating information, stringing together an argument is what one does while drafting. In the process one recognises “gaps” in information or gaps in the argument. So, researchers, as Prof Rajani would say, “Write everyday”!

How true!

This would be the most perfect tribute to the legendary Dr. P. Rajani, and to his commitment to furthering the cause of research.

PS: I also wish to extend my sincere gratitude and a heartful of thanks to Dr. Nirmal Selvamony, for helping me get these rich and valuable insights on this prestigious Journal, and also for sending me scanned copies of the first and the last volumes of the Journal.

You may also want to read a related article on the Research Fervour at MCC, and a Course Teacher / Supervisor’s expectations from a candidate’s Research Paper / Assignment, HERE