Books are an eternal source of delight and encouragement. A good book not only gives pleasure, it enlightens, agitates, stirs the soul and transports the senses to a sublime world.
It gives eyes to experience life and the world in a newer way. It helps blossom flowers of new dreams and possibilities.
Hence, it is said that books are the most faithful and unfailing friends of man. But unfortunately the students of the present generation don't evince any interest to read any other books beyond their text books or realise their significance. The parents' and teacher's inordinate greed for high marks in the examination has devastated the tenderness of the students' mind and heart. The only mantra is to earn enormous money and go for unscrupulous consumption.
The children are burdened under the heavy load of schoolbags. Fatigue and boredom are writ large on their faces bereft of the immaculate smile. Childhood is stripped of fun and pranks, adolescence devoid of grace and elegance, youth of dream, splendour and vivacity. Thus the desire and appetence to relish the taste of reading life-changing books has withered long since. And that is awfully malefic for life and society at large.
On 31st December 2005 , Vivekananda Paathak Mancha Nuarampas, under Hatadihi block in the district of Kendujhar came into being out of such deep seated anguish and the irrepressible desire to bring back the cute little kids to their intimate world of reading and self study.
The idea was to provide them an appropriate platform for the flowering and flourishing their creative ability and innate potential through various competitions like Best Reader (Shrestha Paathak Chayan), Instant Odia Poetry Writing (Aashu Odia Kabita Likhan), Odia Language Ability (Odia Bhasa Jnyana), Song and Humour (Gita o Haasya Byanga) among the students of Class-IV to Class-X from around eighty schools of Hatadihi block at various times.
During the time of corona pandemic, the Mancha with its team of volunteers has worked its way up by holding online competitions throughout the State of Odisha. Mancha's innovative humble endeavour has been awarded by THE INTELLECTS of New Delhi in 2018.
(Prof Nayak is a Reader in English at Anandapur College, Keonjhar, and convenor, Vivekananda Pathak Manch)