Daily Times

The famous saying, “A home without books is like a body without soul,” is the best defined one emphasising the importance of books and their role in shaping up the importance of book reading.

Reading books is a globally recognized intellectual and cultural activity, which keeps the brain healthy and alive, but unfortunately the culture of reading books is almost becoming non-existent in our society, the reasons for this sorry state of affairs are numerous, one main contributing factor is the prevailing poverty the graph of which is moving upward with every passing day, the other predominant factor is our education system, in which the students are forced to learn everything by heart, and a very common believe among the students is that the best and the easiest way to get good marks in the examinations is to learn by heart everything from the “key books” , while this is a bitter reality that any student writing anything different from that as written in the “key” books hardly gets passing marks. Not only this the teachers never appreciate any student citing from any other book other than the prescribed text books, reason being the knowledge of the teachers most of the times is limited and he or she is ashamed of accepting her lack of knowledge.

In the early days or to be more precise, 70 or 80 years back when the resources of individuals were limited, book reading was considered as one of the basic requirements like eating food or drinking water. Those unable to buy books were able to read books of their choice and liking from libraries spread all over a certain locality at quite affordable rates to be charged on daily, weekly or monthly basis

Teachers not alone are to be blamed for this sorry state of affairs, even parents never encourage their children to read books other than text books, because they are only interested in getting their kids high marks required for getting admissions in the professional colleges.

In the early days or to be more precise seventy or eighty years back when the resources of individuals were limited the book reading was considered as one of the basic requirements like eating food or drinking water. Those unable to buy books were able to read books of their choice and liking from libraries spread all over a certain locality at quite affordable rates to be charged on daily, weekly or monthly basis. It was a must practice in every house hold to encourage the reading habits among the children by providing them story books and monthly magazines. In those days the status symbol was one’s collection of books and how well he/she was read, and not the cars model or the size of bungalow and the branded clothes. One widely read was considered as most respectable, creditable and estimable in the society. This was the case in almost in every society and culture. History is witness to the fact that the scholars, thinkers, philosophers, writers and poets had a very high and esteemed position in the courts of kings and monarchs and always held a very distinctive and important position in the corridors of power. The elites were those who had the knowledge of art, literature, history, politics, philosophy, religion and not the ones having heaps of wealth. People used to be proud of their collection of books and the size of their own library.

I remember my child hood when we were always encouraged to read books and magazines by our parents, when we ourselves were unable to read it was a matter of routine of my mother to read out stories for us from different books and magazines that was to induce a habit of reading.

Our mother made it sure to subscribe all children’s monthly magazines, the memory of those still afresh such as Taleem O Tarbiyat, Hidiyat, Bachoon Ki Dunya etc. In Bachoon Ki Dunya the most famous and liked serial was “Nanay Kay Karnamay” and to read that serial story every child of those days always awaited desperately. In every story there used to be a lesson of morality, respect, love for humanity, besides historical narratives. There used to be very few stories without any lesson or leaving a negative impact on the mind of the young ones, as all such books were considered as highly condemnable and reprehensible as Akbar Allahbdi in simple word condemned such books,in these words

Hum Aysaee Kul Kitabayeen Qabil E Zabti Samjahtay Hain

Kay Jin Ko Parh Ker Bachay Bap Ko Khabti Samajhtay Hain

(All such books must be confiscated, which make children think their fathers as insane)

Not only the books and magazines for the young were in abundance but the literarily magazines and periodicals were also of great value and very popular and available at an affordable price like Naqoosh, Fanoon, Adabi Dunia, Saqi and many more. With the rise of cost of living, the reading of good literature also became costly the result being culture of reading books dying rapidly at a very alarming rate. Genuine readers especially the young generation finds it next to impossible to buy a book of their favourite author or the subject of their interest because of the sky high prices of the reading material. In our neighbouring country India books are available on much a reduced prices and are easily affordable to almost every segment of society, where as in Pakistan even the price of newspapers is so high that a lay man is left with no option but to read cheap evening papers offering no serious or informative material.

Another major reason of decline in reading habits is the invention of internet, as all books and magazines are easily available free of cost just on one click of the computers key boards, the worst aspect of the electronic reading material is not only that all sorts of reading material even harmful for the minds of young and immature is available but long sitting in front of computers badly effects the eyesight also, and as Akbar Allahbadi said they can’t be confiscated so the new generation has started considering their “fathers insane”.

The city of Lahore is famous for its old books shops, and since decades the weekly bazaar of old books at Mall Road is the hallmark of the city, but gradually the number of book buyers is reducing over here also the reason being the high prices and lack of facilities. If the city administration could very proudly establish a food street, why can’t they set up a “Books Street” where the book lovers can find out the books of their choice without searching it in the soaring heat, dust and filth, as is the case with the Sunday bazaar of old books in Lahore?

All over Pakistan one can notice a new food outlet appearing at every locality, but one hardly finds a new book shop coming up, we can see our youth wasting money on junk food, where as our book shops presents a deserted look. Mr. Z A Bhutto, himself highly read and lover of books tried and introduced a system of printing the books on cheaper prices, even separate sections were created at all book foundations outlets for children with latest books and magazines available to read free of cost. I remember visiting those children reading corners after my school, and what a fun it was to read Urdu and English story books free of cost in a comfortable atmosphere, but with his unfortunate and tragic departure from the power corridors of the country also resulted in the elimination of that reduced price books culture.

A very positive aspect is the annual Literary festivals in different cities of Pakistan, in which one can notice participation of young girls and boys in large numbers, taking keen interest in books and discussions on literary subjects this clearly indicates that our youth are still in search of good reading material but being out of their reach due to high prices opt for on line reading. The new generation takes keen interest in Urdu poetry not only in big cities but in remote areas, I have come across many youngsters who had never been to a higher school, reading Faiz, Faraz, Muneer Niazi, Nasir Kazmi, Parveen Shakir, even Ghalib, Mir and Momin, but again the cost of their poetic interest is so high that they opt for on line versions of these giants of Urdu language.

Our youth can compete their counterparts only if they are well read and this can become possible only if the books are easily available to them at nominal prices.

Another unfortunate aspect and a surprising one is that people just to show that they are lovers of books mainly belonging from the new brand of riches buy books and exuberant prices from the book shops mostly from old book shops and fill up their book shelves in the “Study” at times one can find dozens of same book of same author, I myself was told by an old book seller that the “elites” coming up in latest model cars buy same book in dozens for their newly constructed house in Defence.

The government should seriously think on this subject before it’s too late and reduce the price of paper and the printing material so that the books are in easy reach of genuine readers along with it our media should also come forward to highlight the importance of reading and arrange book festivals along with the songs and dance festivals.

The writer is a former marine engineer. He can be reached at aamiraqil@gmail.com