Introduction
In olden times, children and adults used to go to the park
or a reading centre for a better interaction with peers. By doing this way,
people used to get the information from around the world and ascertained the views
of the peers. It is a different story whether those analytical views are relevant
or not. This gave a feeling and warmth of a closely knit group. With the rapid industrialization, people have
no time to spare to meet others. Every second counts in terms of money. In
whatever little time they have at their disposal, they want to earn as much money
as possible before settling into a decent position in the chosen industry. Slowly people are forgetting that there used
to be a custom wherein people visited nearby reading centre or park to have
decent discussions.
Local Reading Clubs
Some communities have understood the importance of keeping
in touch. That is the reason people have started encouraging youngsters and children
to form reading groups by pooling the resources so that everybody gains from
that exercise. Some youngsters have even gone a step further and started local reading
clubs and procure journals, newspapers and other reading materials for the
benefit of the community. In order to
pull the wards away from their mobiles or television programs, the modern-day parents
also encourage the reading habit and force them to visit one of these centres
in their neighbourhood. The clubs organize the events in such a manner that the
theme of reading is portrayed to the impressionable minds. Some clubs have even
invited the literary personalities of the state to address their younger
members. These clubs are now making a big impact in different parts of Kerala.
Such clubs are called “Vayana Kootam”.
Reading Clubs Get Sponsorship
Sensing the opportunities, the famous publishing houses have
decided to support such local initiatives and provide them with materials so that
their story books and comics would be read by the young members of the reading
club. For instance, Mathrubhumi and Manorama Groups in Kerala have started
providing the materials for the young readers to enjoy the fruits of knowledge through
reading habits. Almost on the continuous basis, the theme of reaping knowledge
from the exercise of reading is showcased through various events. Even the
publishing houses bring in the leaders in the literary field to interact with
young people and motivate them to start reading. Recently, in a remote hamlet
in the capital city of Kerala, the surviving grandfather of Malayalam
literature Prof. ONV Kurup was invited to give insights into his literary
journey. He shared with the youngsters the information about his findings that
guided him to become an avid reader of literature.
