Aparna Banerji
Tribune News Service
Singhu, December 27
"Kitaban da rujhan hairani karan vala hai. 200 kitaban daily issue hundian ne. Sade kol 1,300 sigiyan, 900 issue ho gaiyan." (the affinity to books is astounding here. We had 1,300 books of which 99 have been issued).
A minute's walking distance from the stage at Singhu is the 'Jangi Kitab Ghar', a library which issues an average of 200 books per day to readers. Two students pursuing PhD and MPhil decided to take their books to the Delhi border 29 days ago in solidarity with the farmers' protests. With erratic network and loads of time at hand, the library is a hit with the readers at Singhu.
Books from the library are being issued free of cost and are being read in tractors, trailers and inside tent cities on the sprawling protest site.
Name resonates
If we check history, the word 'jangi' has preceded struggles
and wars. When Sikh generals fought, their belongings were prefixed with 'jangi'. —Jasvir Singh, Moga youth
Called the 'Jangi Kitab Ghar', the library found its name from the warrior spirit of the Sikhs. Duo Jasvir Singh from Chuharchak village in Moga and Kiranpreet Singh from Akbarpur village in Ropar headed to Singhu with the aim to provide people something to read. Friends for the past five years, the duo stayed in a PG accommodation together. They headed to the Singhu border 29 days ago to spread awareness and education though their books.
Most of the books come from Jasvir's personal library at Chuharchak while many have also been subsequently donated.
Jasvir says, "Keeping the struggle in mind, we thought educated youngsters here shouldn't lose time. We came here with the aim to keep the young busy."
Speaking about the name 'Jangi Kitab Ghar', Jasvir adds, "When I asked my brother what should we name the library, 'jangi' was the first word that came to mind. If we check history, the word 'jangi' has preceded struggles and wars. When Sikh generals fought, their belongings were prefixed with 'jangi'. Jangi bhaande, jangi yodhe (war utensils, war warriors). That's how the library found its name."
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3aKAT0f
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