THIS can happen only in our country. A religious place would continue to stand on a highway, but a library can be demolished on the excuse of widening of an inner road, almost without resistance. Libraries are as such gasping for life in India.

Establishing new libraries has become impossible and maintaining the old ones is a challenge. In such a scenario, it is shocking that the administration of Karnal has thought of demolishing an existing library to widen a road. When the need to widen the road is not as urgent as laying down of a rail track or a highway, other means should be explored to save the library.

The library was established in the memory of a poet whose significance cannot be undermined in this region. Avtar Singh Paash, stood for values of freedom and raised his voice against oppression of all kinds, defying the arithmetic of gain and loss. He lost his life but the poignant honesty of his words survived. It is important for the people to know about their community, collect information from a well-stocked library available locally. Reading in a library is a community-oriented exercise, which should be retained at all costs.

Incidentally, Haryana passed the Public Libraries Act, in 1989. Provision of public library service is a natural corollary to the democratic way of life, for free communication is essential for the preservation of a free society and creative culture. Perhaps, people of Karnal can get some inspiration from the peacefully organised public protests of book lovers against the Brent Council in UK, where neighbourhood libraries were being shut after the cut in budget. Protestors would sit on the doorstep, putting together a pop-up library, in defiance. The pop-up library comprised of books in cartons arranged around the periphery of the library wall, collected from donated books of the supporters for the cause. And they raised £30,000 to fight the case against closure of neighbourhood libraries in the courts. Having libraries is a right of the citizenry and should be resisted if violated.  

COURTESY: http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Tribune/400x60/0 DATED: 28/10/2013