Source : The Pioneer
Dehradun | Tuesday, 24 April 2018 : To mark the World Book Day, a number of programmes were organised in the city on Monday to inculcate the habit of reading in the children and also to reignite in the people the passion of reading books at a time when the printed books seem to be fast losing to the onslaught of e-books and the like.
Two women volunteers from Nari Shakti Samooh affiliated to SIIDCUL Industrial Association, Swati Chauhan and Simran Bagga distributed books and notebooks among the students of Government primary school No. 28 located near Rishikul Ayurvedic College by way of celebrating the day. Sharing her joy on distributing books among the children, Simran said that she was elated seeing the smile that played on their cherubic faces on receiving the books gifted to them. “They eagerly grabbed the story books and others on painting. The joy that beamed their faces is priceless,” she said.
While taking to this correspondent, a voracious reader Vishal Kumar said that he was inspired by computer tycoon Bill Gates who loved to spend time with books in the library since the time he was a student. “Unlike the encouragement the school authorities gave to other kids studying there to avail the library period by reading as many books as possible, Bill Gates was on the contrary asked against frequenting the library and spending time there as he was inclined to neglect the school curriculum because of his overpowering love for books. I am sure Bill Gates has become the legendary Bill Gates thanks to his love of books. One can derive innovative ideas, inspiration to do something great leaving the beaten tracks only through great books where is enshrined the knowledge humanity has acquired through its experiment with mind and the intellect through ages,” he said.
Another avid reader found browsing through books at the library of Gurukul Kangri University shared her views on the importance of reading books. “I love literary fiction and books written by the Indian writers besides the modern classics. The satisfaction one gets while going through the printed books can hardly be got through reading them online.
Even though things look depressing from the surface I am unshakably convinced that the printed books are here to stay, no matter how much digital we go,” she said.
