Guwahati: Progressing through a time when the habit of reading has taken a back-seat among youngsters, witnessing a few youths read under the shade of a tree and admire a beautiful sunset in Guwahati was a sight for sore eyes on a quiet Sunday evening.
Looking to "reboot" the habit of reading among the younger generation book lovers in the city united for a community reading session through an Instagram page called ‘Assam Reads', and participated in an "intellectual-adda". The social media community, headed by a few college students across different parts of Assam, has now taken the initiative to take reading to every corner of the state.
Bringing in books of their choice, the first session in Guwahati witnessed around 10 individuals, who had gathered at the Ambari archaeological site to read.
Similar sessions were also held in Nalbari, Tezpur, Golaghat and Dibrugarh.
Narjee Mausum Sharma, a reading enthusiast in Guwahati, termed the experience ‘overwhelming', before adding that "excessive use of phones and different apps have gradually contributed to deterioration of our reading habit. If book lovers can come together for such a reading session, at least once a week, it will surely enrich us and revive it."
Bidyashri Saikia, an undergraduate student from Golaghat, who had initiated the movement along with her friends, said that the initiative aimed to revive the habit of reading, while bringing in people from different backgrounds, onto a single platform, to discuss various subjects.
Looking to take the initiative forward, "Assam Reads" are keen on developing a mobile-library for its sessions, where enthusiasts can borrow a book.
"The idea for the initiative took flight after seeing such pages across various social media platforms, where book lovers gather and read together. This gives them an opportunity to exchange their ideas and views on different issues. We are aiming to take this initiative to the rural areas as well, so that the students there can experience the joy of reading," she added. However, Saikia was quick to add that although the prime focus was on youngsters, there's no age restriction for the participants.
For example, in Golaghat, school students to university professors and writers participated in the session, while discussing on various topics.