India celebrates 26th #NationalReadingDay on social media amid pandemic

NEW DELHI: Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker, the man behind the ‘Library Movement in Kerala’, spent his lifetime cultivating a rich reading culture in Kerala. His remarkable efforts also reflect on the outstanding literacy record Kerala has been maintaining over the years. To commemorate his contribution, the country observes the national reading day on June 19.

Every year on Panicker’s death anniversary, the PN Panicker Foundation has been observing the national reading day, reading week, and reading month since 1996. This year, the country is celebrating the 26th national reading day.

Engaging students and adults alike, the foundation also organises various online activities and competitions. Owing to the ongoing second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation has organized activities that motivate reading online. A month-long ‘digital reading celebration' begins today and will continue till July 18.

Long before the pandemic pushed the world to rely on technology for all purposes, the PN Panicker foundation was promoting e-reading in rural areas. The foundation established 25,000 rural home e-libraries in 2010.

Professing their love for reading, citizens, political leaders, and children took to social media to celebrate with the hashtag #NationalReadingDay.

On the occasion, Arif Mohammed Khan, Kerala Governor, promoted reading to “ignite minds and strengthen understanding of the world”.

Hon'ble Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan said: "My best wishes to everyone on #NationalReadingDay .Reading ignites our thinking & strengthens our understanding of the world. It also empowers us to make the right choice of books & online platforms to read": PRO, KeralaRajBhavan pic.twitter.com/OAD35ozG2I

— Kerala Governor (@KeralaGovernor) June 19, 2021

Kerala MP, Shashi Tharoor recalled Panicker’s legacy and his efforts to improve the literacy rate in Kerala. “This unassuming man, a simple librarian, is honoured in today’s #NationalReadingDay. PN Panicker’s slogan could be translated as “grow by reading” [and] also as “grow as you read”. He led Kerala to universal literacy [and] dreamt of an India where no child would be deprived of books,” Tharoor wrote.

Today is Kerala’s #ReadingDay or “Vayana Dinam”, marking a major early milestone on the road to universal literacy. Of course, every day should be reading day, but this one honours the legacy of literacy pioneer PN Panicker, whose 26th death anniversary falls on June 19. pic.twitter.com/TInBfiwYwi

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 19, 2021

Dedicated to promoting the reading culture he experienced in Kerala, Sathyanarayan Mundayoor, popularly known as Uncle Moosa, has started a library movement in Arunachal Pradesh. Bureaucrat Prashant Lokhande wished him on the occasion. “On National Reading day best wishes to Moosa uncle, a pioneer in Arunachal’s library movement. May thousands get inspired from this movement like my daughters got inspiration. Honoured to be part of his team. Let’s take this movement to every corner of our state.,” Lokhande wrote.

#joyofreading. On National Reading day best wishes to Moosa uncle, pioneer in Arunachal’s library movement. May thousands get inspired from this movement like my daughters got inspiration. Honoured to be part of his team. Let’s take this movement to every corner of our state. pic.twitter.com/TGbgfWZGj3

— Prashant Lokhande. (@prashantias2001) June 19, 2021

Another posted a picture of their book collection and wrote about their experience of reading books. “Reading is like thinking, like praying, like talking to a friend, expressing your ideas, like listening to other people’s ideas, like listening to music, like looking at the view, like taking a walk on the beach,” a book lover tweeted.

Reading is like thinking, like praying, like talking to a friend, like expressing your ideas, like listening to other people’s ideas, like listening to music, like looking at the view, like taking a walk on the beach...#NationalReadingDay pic.twitter.com/hSCkE70Dqu

— ബാർബർ ബാലൻ ?‍♂️ (@Barbar_Balan) June 19, 2021

Another reader posted the recent read to celebrate the occasion.

#NationalReadingDay
What are you reading today?
I decided to revisit, #WiseAndOtherWise by the one and only @sudhamurty ji. https://t.co/rbMzqIjByA pic.twitter.com/HKKoqziuRv

— Reema Ghosal-Lad (@LadReema) June 19, 2021

“ When we read any book, we are connected to the authors, as if they are directly talking to us and guiding us, which is not otherwise possible, as you can’t meet the authors directly,” wrote another reader.

"When we read any book, we are connected to the authors, as if they are directly talking to us and guiding us, which is not otherwise possible, as you can’t meet the authors directly."https://t.co/BIj1xEtKPk#SanjayKumarAgarwal #GOPTA #NLP #NationalReadingDay #ReadingDay #Books pic.twitter.com/SuttkmIVOe

— Sanjay Kumar Agarwal (@TimeAndGoalGuru) June 19, 2021

✍️Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker (1 March 1909 – 19 June 1995) is known as the Father of the Library Movement in the Indian state of Kerala.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared June 19, Kerala's Reading Day, as National Reading Day in India.#NationalReadingDay pic.twitter.com/BTV38Z7kLF

— ❣️ Ravindra Devrani(Ravi)❣️ (@RavindraDevrani) June 19, 2021

A student shared his love for reading books and its importance in poetry.

#NationalReadingDay
वक्त की ये जरूरत समझ लो, बिन पढ़े अब गुजारा नही है,
ना कोई रहनुमा ना हुकूमत, कोई भी अब तुम्हारा नही है।
इब्तिदा लफ्ज़ इकरा से यारों, जिसके कुरान की हो रही हो,
कौम ऐसी भी रह जाए जाहिल, ये खुदा को गवारा नही है।@ShayarImran pic.twitter.com/jjQnB1BXoB

— Shahid Aziz | شاہد عزیز (@iShahidAziz) June 19, 2021

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