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Reading habit not on the decline: Vice-Chancellor

Staff Reporter

Writers blamed for falling interest in literature

KOCHI: Books are the real ambassadors between linguistic States, said D. Jayakanthan, Jnanpith Award-winning Tamil writer, here on Saturday.

Mr. Jayakanthan was speaking after the inauguration of the 9th International Book Festival at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium.

He said modern literature had a purpose and duty — that of linking readers spread over the world. There was a common link between all literature produced in the country, irrespective of language or religion.

In his presidential address, K.S. Radhakrishnan, Vice-Chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, said the complaint that the reading habit was declining was baseless.

Newspaper circulation

The increasing circulation of newspapers proved that reading was very much there in society. It was true that readers had moved a bit from literature, but that was because literature had been detached from realities to which readers could associate with. It was natural for people to stop reading literature not related to their lives and language.

Speaker Therambil Ramakrishnan, in his keynote address, said love for books was a special trait of Malayali society.

Sebastian Paul, MP, spoke.

The book fair will be on till December 12.

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