Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Ability to read is a potent weapon, says Speaker

Staff Reporter

HEARTY WELCOME: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee being accorded a ceremonial welcome as he arrives to inaugurate the book festival in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. - Photo: S. Gopakumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ability to read, understand and comprehend the world around oneself is a potent weapon in the hands of every individual, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has said.

Books are an excellent medium of disseminating ideas and information, imparting knowledge and inculcating the spirit of inquisitiveness and critical reasoning in students and indeed are the best friends of the people.

He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the International Book fair and cultural fest organised by the Students' Federation of India, here today.

"Students and the youth need to develop a good reading habit and not just get confined to the textbook material so as to experience the thrill and enlightenment that reading provides to an individual which also tends to widen one's intellectual horizons," he said. Reading books opens one's mind to the wide world outside, broadens one's thinking and strengthens one's convictions. However, the selection of books is also equally important. All books are not of the same quality in terms of their content; in fact some may even be frivolous. That being so we have to be very selective and look for good books to get the benefit of reading he said.

A book fair has a special place in Kerala as the literacy rate in the State is very high. The strong traditions of the progressive literary movement in the State have resulted in the translation of a large number of classics and writings in Indian languages into Malayalam. The State also has a very vibrant library movement and a flourishing publishing industry, Mr. Chatterjee pointed out.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Work on boundary wall of capital airport nearing completion
Insurance scheme for animal-handlers mooted
Protect interests of pharmacy students, says Lok Ayukta
Information literacy programme in colleges
Paucity of IV fluids hits MCH and SAT
Ability to read is a potent weapon, says Speaker
Experts stress need for early detection of cancer
Tender coconut parlours soon
Camp sans media hype
Boy reunited with family
Scheme for senior citizens demanded
Garbage Free Kerala project evokes good public response
Named after the day she was found abandoned
Nature's art work
Coffined cola
Around the City
In Tiruvananthampuram Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu