“Readers are thought leaders.” Back in school, we all had this sentence pasted on our soft boards. We were told as children that reading books is very important, but because we live in a society where we don’t value “why,” we don’t discuss it. As a result, very few people in Kashmir are habitual readers, and even those who are are unaware of recent developments in the fields of literature and other fields. The lack of such knowledge stems from the fact that we, as individuals and as a community, have abandoned the habit of reading books.
I will not express my perspective based on historical references since, let’s face it, quoting history in order to improve the present is a bit clichéd. Instead, I shall speak about the present by expressing my viewpoint based on current events.
The way we have implemented rote learning has abolished, or to put it another way, it has diminished the book reading culture. We see a very small number of people opening a book and turning the pages to learn something in schools, educational institutes, offices, and research facilities. I don’t blame them; who doesn’t enjoy simple solutions? There’s no need to sift through titles and pages when you can find it in a single click. But, once again, academic reading is not the only type of reading. You don’t always read to fulfil a need; you also read to extend your horizons and explore the realms of your imagination. We have destroyed reading culture, and with it, the skill of critical thinking in this age, by normalising the culture of buying brief notes to pass examinations, reading summaries to avoid reading big chapters, and watching a four-minute YouTube video instead of going through course books.
It is deemed time-wasting to read novels and books that are unrelated to one’s topic of study. People who enjoy reading books are thought to be lifeless and dull. According to multiple worldwide studies, people who read have high levels of tolerance, empathy, and critical thinking since reading isn’t simply a way to learn, but also opens the mind and trains it for diversity. Books are also fantastic for creativity because reading has an impact on a person’s creative intelligence. It is stated that in order to learn to write, you must first be an excellent and attentive reader. Although writing is an inherent ability, reading helps to develop it.
People are also demotivated by the “shaming culture” that exists in a readers’ group. Reading is supposed to be an open activity in which one is free to make choices, but I have noticed that in the majority of book reading groups, readers blame each other for reading what they enjoy. Yes, I understand the classics are wonderful and should be read, but it doesn’t make someone who like to read fantasy any less of a reader than you. I can be 50 years old and still be enthralled by the Harry Potter series, whereas a 15-year-old can enjoy Jane Austen. It has nothing to do with intelligence; reading is good in any case, and it should be a judgment-free activity.
On a personal level, we should all work to restore this culture in our homes by creating small bookcases for children, reading with them, encouraging them to read comics and books online, chatting about books more than family gossip, and reading in front of youngsters so that they pick up the habit. Small areas should be built at the community level where readers can contribute books, pick a book of their choosing, and leave a review.
One of our society’s most pressing needs is critical thinking and the formation of viewpoints. We cannot advance as individuals or as a society unless we study and dig deep into the topics about which we are forming an opinion. It is high time to resurrect our culture and make the world a better place for everyone.
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Eyram Hamid Khan