A Reader’s Tryst

 

A Reader’s Tryst

With the Omicron surge, we are again locked up in our homes. How to spend 24 hours within the four walls of the house? I don’t know about you but I devour every single book that I can find in the house. I have a reason. It’s not just that the chilly January air is transforming me into an indoor cat but, reading gives me respite from the humdrum of chores and classes.

Here I am sharing pictures of 2 libraries. This dreamy old library is featured in The New York Times article and got me thinking- why do libraries appeal to so many people? I am sure you will like the other picture equally because it features absorbed readers! 

Dr. Macksey's home library

Ramdootnagar(Jamnagar district, Gujarat) community library

All of us are fortunate to have books (which sometimes we don’t bother to complete) in our homes. Even if you can’t get a hard copy, Kindle is at your service. If you are a freebie like me, you can just download free PDFs from sites you don't trust.  You’re reading this blog right now and probably wondering why I am pointing that out. We read every day- be it the e-newspaper or texts from friends. I want you to imagine when you would have nothing to read. No books, no internet, nothing.

Right outside the golden bubble of our township, the children of the school in the slum don’t have any books to read, except the course books. Their parents struggle to make the ends meet. However, watching their parents’ hardship, the kids are determined to learn.

“The kids are like sponges…ready to absorb every drop of knowledge!” my mother remarked. We decided to start a library and I recall, during our first visit, the children thronged around the books collected in the donation drive. As they were skimming through the pages, their faces glowed, owing to the vibrancy of any picture book. The elder ones of the group took on the responsibility of running an evening library.

Belonging to the advantaged strata of this society, it is our utmost responsibility to give back. I am determined to keep starting libraries all my life...wherever I go, whichever profession I may choose, I will keep doing my bit. And you would too, right? Amid the pandemic, it has been the tenacious spirit of volunteers that has kept the library running. And how can I forget the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed readers who turn up every single day! The dappled sunlight is the natural light bulb and the asbestos shelter- a reader’s tryst!

 

‘A cup of Tea with Women Politicians’

 

‘A cup of Tea with Women Politicians’

 

“Politics isn’t like a 9-5 job! It is about passion, dedication and people!” These are the words of Beenaben-Mayor of Jamnagar. As a 10^th grader, I have been reading about decentralisation and women’s participation in local governments.  73^rd amendment not only gave more power to the local government but also helped to inculcate the habit of political participation. One of the salient features is 50% reservation for women and as usual, there have been differing opinions regarding such affirmative actions. Class discussions stimulated my interest and I decided to interview women elected members. I managed to get appointments of mayor of Jamnagar city and Sarpanch of Vibhapar village.  

Both the women leaders lead busy lives and I got to observe their engagement with people who came to meet them for work.  Gitaben , Sarpanch of Vibhapar had started off as a volunteer in various projects in her village about 28 years ago . Beena ben , our mayor has been in the public sphere for the past 13 years. Contrary to the assumption of some of my friends, their husbands didn’t hail from political backgrounds.  However, fortunately their families always encouraged them to follow their hearts.  Geetaben said, “One should have genuine desire to resolve issues. Politics is not about power only.” 

While discussing their careers, I realised that in politics, there are some days with high level of excitement and some are full of challenges. Geetaaben narrated her recent ordeal during flood situation in Jamnagar district. As the villages along with Power Station were submerged under water, she lost a family member.  While water was mercilessly entering into houses of the villagers, power got cut. The rain was incessant and her phone would not stop ringing. She lamented, “One feels helpless in times like those but, it is important to keep doing what you can!”   

Mayor Beena ben also said, “People expect that problems should get resolved quickly and they are right to some extent. However, practical realities are different. It takes time, deep analysis and inter departmental coordination.”  She added that when people come together, impossible tasks are achieved. Jamnagar’s vaccination drive has been quite successful- a whopping 97% of vaccinated population has got vaccinated so far. Since the beginning, the city topped in the country as far as vaccination was concerned.   

Under the leadership of Geetaben, Vibhapar has a strong 10 women panch team for the first time. “It’s probably the most significant achievement so far,” she opined. Both of them admitted that they are workaholic. Both of them emphasised that the change is happening at all levels, but mentioned that they still come across people who hold stereotypical views about women. 

My last question was, “What would your advice be to the women willing to come into politics?” From Beenaben’s smile, I conjectured that this must be a question that many would have asked. Nevertheless, she replied, “I have seen young women preoccupied with fashion and social media.” I chuckled awkwardly, feeling guilty. “It shouldn’t be overlooked but all your time and energy must not be consumed by these things.” Geetaben, too, emphasised the need for passion to bring change and consistent efforts to lead a socially active and relevant life. She accepted that the journey might be precarious but not impossible. We need more women’s representation and participation in every field including politics.  

Sure, women have been breaking the glass ceilings in every field and Member of Parliament from Jamnagar constituency is also a woman. She is immensely popular and therefore, it would be interesting to have an interaction with her to get a sense of what it takes to represent one of the largest constituencies in the parliament.