ROING, Dec 5: The four-day ‘Joy of Reading’ festival, with the theme ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ began at the VKV auditorium here in Lower Dibang Valley district on Wednesday.
The festival, organized by the Lohit Youth Libraries Network with support of the district administration and the Women and Child Development department, will continue till 8 December with a mobile bus displaying and selling books to students at Koronu, Bolung and Dambuk.
Describing the organization of the festival with the theme of ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ as a noble idea, Namsai Deputy Commissioner Dr Tapasya Raghav said that any social change has to come from schools.
‘It is only when students know about social evils and question it, can change take place,’ she said and encouraged the students to take up reading from a young age.
Lower Dibang Valley Deputy Commissioner Mitali Namchoom encouraged all to inculcate the habit of reading in daily life.
‘We are so busy with our lives and the digital world that we have forgotten the joy and beauty of reading,’ she lamented while encouraging all to take full advantage of the festival.
Lohit Youth Library Network Coordinator, Sathya-narayana Mundayoor informed the gathering about the origin of the Youth Library Network and its inception in 1998 at Italin.
He added that the library network was flourishing and has spread to many districts with library volunteers using innovative methods to teach and spread the joy of reading.
Gitesh Sinha of TERI informed about the children’s books on environment published by TERI.
Among others, Er K Madhavan Kutty (Malayalam Author), Er Sumi Migri (Manager, Ashok Leyland, Ghy), government officers and students attended the inaugural function. (DIPRO)
