“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one”
BILKULONLINE
By Rafat Quadri
“Books are a uniquely portable magic” and “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go” this and more such quotations are associated with the habit of reading. However, it is sadly sliding to a sharp decline with the advent of mobile and other visual (digital) platforms which are eating away the major chunk of our thrust for Reading.
However, the ray of hope and transition is the strength to make changes. ELTAI (English language Teachers’ association of India) a 50-year-old voluntary organization has stood up firmly to show its presence even as it is launching the movement, ‘India Reads’.
The movement as visualized by the association embodies several unique features and the most significant being its radical departure from academic reading. The academia mostly focuses narrowly on textbook reading, offering hardly any chance for learners to become readers, in its true sense. Textbooks demand a different approach as they are often read for the purposes of doing assignments and scoring marks in the examinations, necessitating intensive reading. No learner has expressed his liking for reading textbooks and hence, an alternative model is conceptualized to prompt learners to move beyond the textbooks, beyond teachers and beyond classroom to become extensive readers, that is, reading for joy and reading on one’s own volition.
The teachers’ association is, therefore, launching a reading movement, along the lines of Chipko, to energize the entire country to emerge as the knowledge capital. Providing details about its Gujarat meets Prof K Elango, general secretary, ELTAI told BILKULONLINE “Our attempt and mission is to promote reading habit among learners from primary to university level. Now, with 300 million students on the education ladder, plus with their 600 million parents we could transform the malaise of technology addiction to book reading, perhaps the only antidote available”.
“The movement is to be a student and public-led one wherein everyone has a role and making reading their lifestyle. It would undoubtedly shape our students to be self-learners, who can crack any competitive exam and prepare themselves for the non-existing jobs sans any external support” added Prof Elango.
ELTAI Gujarat Events Schedule:
An event of ELTAI to be organised by its Anand Chapter at HM Patel Institute in Anand between 10 am and noon on Friday, June 16.
Local co-ordinators for the same would be Prof r Rajendrasinh Jadeja and Dr Mannus Thaker. Dr Shravan Kumar, ELTAI National Vice President will participate in this event.
The second event will be organized by ELTAI Ahmedabad Chapter in association with American Corner, Knowlostic (World Learning Foundation) between 10 am and noon on Saturday, June 17.
The venue will be American Corner, 301, Sun Square, Dr Umashankar Joshi Marg, off CG Road, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad. The local coordinators are Prof Dr Rajendrasinh Jadeja and Dr Mithun Khandwala.
ELTAI Rajkot Chapter will organise the third event in Gujarat at the Swaminarayan Gurukul International School in Rajkot between 10 am and noon on Sunday, June 18.
The local coordinators for the event will be Dr Vishal Varia and Minu Jasdanwala.
So, bring out the Reader in you and participate in large number at any of the above mentioned event. Enjoy and Celebrate the Joy of Reading!
(Rafat Quadri can be reached at : editorbilkul@gmail.com)