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Whither the reading habit?

To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.---W. Somerset Maugham

Television is the last nail for the concept of book reading . ---Photo: K.R. Deepak

In an age when browsing the net, playing with funky handsets and passing non-stop SMSs seem to be the order of the day, reading a book in a peaceful corner of a library has become an archaic idea for most people. While technology is slowly taking a steady control over individual lives, the reading habit is fast vanishing into thin air. The city libraries are a mute witness to this. They present a gloomy picture of the gradual depletion of voracious readers who used to flock the libraries every evening. Apart from a few elderly people and a handful of students, the libraries wear a deserted look most of the time.

These libraries are neither stacked nor maintained well. Hundreds of books lie on the shelves gathering dust, and most of them remain ungrouped. Librarians blame it on the lack of staff and proper funds for renovation.

A decade ago if someone said that he or she hadn't read a Tagore or a Tolstoy, that person was looked down upon by others. There was a strong sense of accountability and responsibility among the youth. They were much more conscious and well read because at that time 'simple living and high thinking' was the dictum. But with the gradual advent of globalisation and nuclear family structures, life has become mechanical and money-oriented. Students are constantly being whipped for performance and the concept of intrinsic value addition is now a long lost idea.

Sadly, the reading habit is on the decline among children as well. Popeye and his gang, aided by multimedia games have drowned the shuffle of the pages. Though the Harry Potter mania is gripping children these days, it could just be another ephemeral phase withering away sooner or later.

``But why blame it on the kids for all this wean-off-from-reading culture? It is the parents who are responsible for this,'' says an English professor. Parents blame it on the mounting pressure on the children in schools and tuition classes.

``My son hardly gets time to read story books. In the little time he gets after finishing the home work, all he wants to do is watch the cartoon channel or play video games,'' says Vijaylakshmi whose nine-year-old son ''is glued to the idiot'' box whenever he gets the time. The other problem is that there is a tremendous pressure upon students to perform and excel.

The situation is no better among college students. Library for them becomes popular only before the final examination. It is then that the students, in a panic state, just browse through their course related books.

There are also regular visitors to the libraries among them, though they constitute a small minority who frequently borrow books. ''But more often than not, students visit the libraries for their research work rather than reading a book for their own pleasure. In fact, nowadays libraries have become common hangouts for the college students,'' remarks another professor.

But what is the reason behind this wean-off-from-reading attitude? ''Parents are so psyched about the future of their children that most of the times it is they who discourage their wards from reading any other book than their textbooks,'' the professors say.

Tough and intense competition has further deepened the insecurity among the middle class families. ''But they fail to understand that for an all-round development of an individual, reading habit is essential.'' If at the primary level, the habit of reading books is not cultivated among children, then at the college level it becomes very difficult to develop the habit. ''That is why we feel that extra reading should be made compulsory at the school level,'' they say.

Some assert that reading is not a diversion from serious tasks; rather it contributes to the fulfilment of those tasks. ''At a time when it is not rare to find students using dubious means and short-uts to pass examinations, the reading skill, if instilled in them, will make them savour learning and also increase their faith in themselves and their abilities.''

In spite of such refrains, books continue to find their way to the right readers. Libraries in the city may not boast of good attendance, but they do attract ardent readers, who still exist somewhere in the midst of this discouraging scenario. That many contemporary writers are coming out with masterpieces on different subjects is an indicator to this fact. At a time when recreation, enjoyment and mechanical learning have become operative words, it is reassuring to find that bibliophiles are there. It does not matter whether these such booklovers access books on-line or browse them physically, before buying them.

NIVEDITA GANGULY

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