Page 42 - Man Ki Baat Nov 2024 (English)
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Libraries
Gateways to Knowledge and Creativity
them, but they don’t listen. If
we point out too much, they will
run away. After school hours
it is difficult to hold them and
particularly during holidays,
parents are tired.”
I asked casually, “Do you
have a library in your village,
with a variety of books and a
Sudha Murty
nice ambience to sit there and
Rajya Sabha MP, Author & read?”
Philanthropist He was surprised by my
question and said, ‘Oh, all our
schools have a library and each
class gets a reading period,
every week. So, why do we need
another library?’
‘What about young adults
A couple of years ago, I was who are not in school?’
invited to some village for an He thought for a moment
event. It was the early part of and said, ‘They don’t read.’
the year. Throughout my village I smiled and continued, ‘One
tour, I observed a lot of young of the solutions will be building
children sitting on the parapet a library with a conducive
walls of compounds, wandering environment. It will attract both
on the streets, sitting in groups children and young adults.’
and playing some games, etc. I ‘Why should we waste
felt they were just wasting their money by duplicating it?’, he
precious time. The village head was curious.
showed his concern regarding “A library is just not a
the children, who are our future. building with four walls and a
He said, “We have tried to tell set of books. It is an abode of
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