We are
groomed in a system where books are treated
more as an academic tool than life enriching
experience. We see only a minuscule percentage of people who nurture
reading as a habit beyond student life.
When I undertake journeys, it is
appalling to see few people with books. In this respect, our Western
counterparts are a wiser lot, because their society is more knowledge centric.
This behavioral deficiency can be cured by taking a conscious decision to
nurture the habit of reading as a daily
dose to make life more blissful.
“Books” according to American critic E.P. Whipple, “are lighthouses erected
in the great sea of time. “ Through reading, we get the endurance to
accommodate the view point of others. Reading is more a sort of exercise to the
mind. A book will give the necessary impetus to withstand the pulls and
pressures of daily life. Books are messengers through which a person’s ideas,
experiences and insights are shared with the whole world.
The great people of past have already recognized the importance of books. The
Catholic archbishop, poet and writer François Fénelon sagely said “If the
crowns of all the kingdoms of the empire were laid down at my feet in exchange
for my books and my love of reading, I would spurn them all”
Books should not be chosen casually as we are generally deceived by the title
of books but be rather intelligent
enough to choose a book. Then comes the task of ‘reading’. The ‘how’ of
reading a book is better
interpreted by Sir Francis Bacon: “some books are to be tasted, others to be
swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested”.
Reading makes a complete man. Moreover, reading is not a passive activity. To
read a book, you have to prepare the mind in that direction and a conducive
atmosphere needs to be created. The decisive factor involves in
choosing a good book is to gaze into its reviews which form a central plank in
deciding the fate of the book.
In fact the holistic approach for book reading is to take important notes in
the course of reading that book which will aid you for future
reference. Book reading is not for sensual pleasure. The books that
kindle our imagination and elevate our thoughts are the right kind to read. “No
entertainment is so cheap as reading” says 18th century writer Lady Mary
Wortley Montagu. We cannot bring any radical change in people’s perception regarding
‘books’ unless we first achieve cent per cent literacy.
According to UN Human Development Report - 2020, adult literacy rate of India
is pegged at 74.4%. We are in shambles with regard to Human Development Index
(HDI) which is 0.645 (Rank 131), lagging behind our neighboring island nation
Sri Lanka which is at 0.782 (Rank 72).
A multi-pronged approach is needed to achieve the objective . Yearly Book Fairs
that are now held only in some select cities need to spread to every district
headquarter and a coordinated approach is required to attract local people.
Moreover State Libraries need to be strengthened with adequate funds to mould
them into ‘modern temples of knowledge’.
School children must be nurtured to go to libraries and parents need to give them
books as gifts for occasions. There is also a need for Self Knowledge Groups’
among students and other stakeholders for sharing of knowledge.
Other than governmental interference in the form of financial aid and policy
planning, a parental approach will only bring a perceptible change. Otherwise we
continue to remain in dirt.
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