DIMWE, 21 Dec: About 60 children of Classes 3 to 10 participated in a ‘Joy of reading’ mela organized jointly by the BRTF and Tezu-based Bamboosa Library here in Lohit district recently.
Addressing the valedictory function, 48 BRTF Commander Col Saurabh Srivastava said, “If you are in the habit of reading, you become a person better informed than those around. Hence, helping children to discover the joy of reading is more relevant today.”
He congratulated the senior activists of Bamboosa Library who conducted a two-day training workshop for young people of Dimwe area as part of the mela.
Pointing out that the BRTF has been organizing reading events with Bamboosa Library since 2009, Col Srivastava made a handsome contribution to Bamboosa Library to extend the reading campaign across the region.
Captain Shivani Sharma, who coordinated the mela, elaborated the importance of
promoting reading, “especially at such times like the Corona crisis, when the youth have been totally deprived of healthy human interactions, creating mental stress on many.”
Outlining the evolution and salient features of the Lohit Youth Library movement, senior activist Jeenamsi Ngadong said, “Our motto has been, ‘When readers can’t come to books, books must go to readers’.” She thanked the district administrations of Lohit, Namsai, Anjaw and Lower Dibang Valley and patrons for their support.
Speaking on the topic ‘Why a reading movement?’, Lohit Youth Libraries coordinator S Mundayoor appealed to all educated individuals to “involve actively to spread the joy of reading around their neighbourhood.” He also thanked the BRTF commander for offering to organize the mela here, benefitting more than 100 families.
The highlights of the valedictory function were storytelling, poem recitations, book reading, a reading theatre and a skit. A book exhibition for young readers and parents with titles from the CBT, the NBT, Tulika, the TERI and Eklavya was also organized as part of the mela.
