Recently, I visited the largest book store in the capital city of Goa, I found the store practically empty. As my children got immersed in the sea of knowledge (looking around for the books they wanted to read) I started a conversation with a kind gentleman sitting behind the counter. He remarked, “It is not a secret that reading is on a decline”.
It was worth pondering upon as to why such an enriching hobby is not being pursued by people, a case in point being the sorry state of affairs of this said bookstore in the heart of Panjim city. The bookstore has books for all ages and interests, yet people prefer spending time in malls and multiplexes than here.
We often hear parents complaining about their children’s obsession with the social media. Also that they pay no heed to their words. But wait a minute; have you wondered as to who is to be blamed for their actions? As parents, have we taken the effort to get them attracted towards books—gifted them books on their special occasions or got them into the habit of presenting it to near and dear ones for them to understand the significance of the written word?
Research says that children are inspired by their immediate family, in many nucleus families it is their parents. My point here is: we as parents are immersed in our laptops, mobile phones, television sets and other gadgets. Do we consciously take time out to read at home and speak about books with our kids? Seriously, do you remember the last time you read out a bedtime story to your child?
In short, are we doing our bit as parents to inculcate the habit of reading in our children by our actions? The answer is a clear no.
We all understand that reading nourishes the soul by rejuvenating the human intellect in probing things deeper and analysing things from different perspectives, before taking any decisions. The decline of reading will be a deterioration of one’s thinking abilities which will be detrimental in the long run. So Let us set our priorities right. To build this great nation, let us build minds which will think, analyse and work together for a peaceful and progressive society which will begin with a healthy mind, fed with rich literature of the written word.
Here, I am reminded of Groucho Marx a Philosopher who once said, “I find the television very educating, every time somebody turns on the set, I go to another room to read a book”.
