TEZU, 1 Mar: “Continue to reach out to the less fortunate youth and help them discover the joy of reading,” Tezu SBI Chief Manager Mithu Chakraborty said, addressing the senior reader-activists and volunteers of the Lohit Youth Libraries after giving away the annual library awards at Bamboosa Library during its 14th annual day celebration.
Lauding library administrator Bapenlu Kri for offering a free online study centre and reading room facilities in Bamboosa Library for higher secondary and college students from remote areas of Lohit from October 2020 onwards, Chakaraborty assured of all support from the SBI to promote library activities “for advancement of learning environment in the community.”
Conveying best wishes on the occasion from Itanagar, Finance Commissioner Prashant Lokande, who is also the founder patron of Bamboosa Library, expressed great happiness to see that the youth library movement has come a long way.
“It is such a pride and honour to be associated with such great institutions pioneering in this field. The government of Arunachal is committed to take forward this movement,” he said.
Congratulating the volunteers for their immense contributions, he said they deserve sincere appreciation. “I wish more volunteers would come forward to establish a series of such libraries in the nook and corner of our state,” Lokhande said.
Silotmai Dellang, a community elder from Wakro, spoke about how the youth library activists have promoted an interest among parents and villagers to educate girls.
Interacting with the senior activists, Indira Gandhi Government College Assistant Professor Neeli Linggi advised them to remain updated on career and employment opportunities in Arunachal.
Senior library activist Jeenamsi Ngadong outlined the salient features of the youth library movement, and spoke about how decentralized and people-managed libraries enable and empower communities to own them instead of looking up to a central authority.
“Volunteers at each library decide how to run them; our coordinator is just a guide helping us in handholding and working together,” she explained.
Roing-based Dibang Youth Library mentor Santosh Chetry outlined how the library was able to spread the joy of reading across Dibang Valley, “handholding with the local NGOs and the district administration.”
Speaking of her long years of association with library activities since school days, APNE Library mentor Manisha Halai said that the library movement blessed her with self-confidence and a wide range of life experiences.
Senior activist Solina Kambrai outlined how the “magical affection and team work” among the volunteers helped her to change from a lazy reader to an enthusiastic activist.
Presenting a brief report of the activities carried out during 2019-20 and 2020-21, Lohit Youth Libraries coordinator S Mundayoor pointed out that “the activists and volunteers converted the stiff challenge of isolation during the Corona pandemic to an opportunity to prepare a series of newspaper articles, audio recordings and Yuva Vani programmes at AIR Tezu on a number of important themes.”
These received wide appreciation from well-wishers across the country, he said.
