TEZU, Aug 25: The Bamboosa library and the Lohit Youth Library Network (LYLN) celebrated 12 years of the library’s establishment in a function here in Lohit district on Sunday.
During the function, the Ranganatha Award for ‘meritorious library services and educational motivation to the youths of Wakro circle’ was awarded to Kamlesh Raut, a teacher who is a volunteer of the APNE library based in Wakro.
The Sister Nivedita Award for ‘outstanding support to Bamboosa library services and stimulating reading habits among youths of Tezu’ was awarded to Assistant Engineer Jimu Mele.
Both awards are sponsored by a patron of the library from Pune. Several other activists were also awarded during the function.
Speaking on the occasion, the CALSOM’s Tezu block chairman Yalum Ama advised the youths to “work towards improving their lives by focusing on reading and realizing the value of books,” and to stay away from drugs.
He also advised parents to desist from gifting motorcycles to minors, saying it has been “the cause of widespread loss of young lives in Arunachal.”
LYLN convenor Sokhep Kri shared his experience of more than three decades of close interactions with Arunachalee youths, while Indira Gandhi Government College’s Associate Professor, Dr Rajendra Babu, explained why “reading and possessing printed books are far more practical, prudent and healthy for the mind and eyes.”
LYLN coordinator S Mundayoor announced that a children’s book titled Picture Gandhi is coming out in five Arunachalee languages – Adi, Apatani, Miju Mishmi, Nyishi and Nocte – and in the Bodo language of Assam, on 2 October. The book is published by Chennai (Tamil Nadu)-based Tulika Books.
Poem recitations and skits presentations were part of the programme.
