WORLD BOOK DAY
Kashmir, often called ‘Pir Waer’ the ‘Alcove of Saints’ has always been a land where books, poetry, and wisdom have flowed like its rivers. From the mystic verses of Lal Ded to the soul-stirring sayings of Sheikh-ul-Alam, the spirit of reading and reflection has been deeply woven into our identity. On this World Book Day, while the world celebrates the power of books, we too must pause to honor our literary heritage and to confront the sobering reality of a declining reading culture.
The Valley’s history is illuminated by an unbroken chain of scholars, poets, mystics, and historians. Our ancestors treated books as treasures, mosques as schools, and learning as a sacred duty. In every village and every household, storytelling and poetry once nurtured the hearts of children. Manuscripts written in Persian, Sanskrit, and later Urdu adorned our libraries and shrines. Knowledge was not just a privilege; it was a living tradition. “My body burned in the furnace of love, and thus I found the essence of wisdom.” – Lal Ded
But today, a painful silence is growing. In a Kashmir where once bookstores thrived in Lal Chowk and students queued up outside libraries, we now see shops closing, book fairs shrinking, and books gathering dust. Recently, the closure of a beloved bookstore in Srinagar saddened many; a symbolic reminder of a deeper malaise. The culture of deep, contemplative reading is fading, especially among the young who are lured by the constant distractions of digital life.
Reading is not merely an act of consuming information; it is a profound engagement with life itself. A book invites patience, contemplation, and a willingness to wrestle with complex ideas and qualities that form the bedrock of a resilient and thoughtful society. Without them, as Sheikh-ul-Alam warns, ignorance begins to fill the void: “Ignorance is a fortress of darkness; learning is a flame of light.”
The digital revolution has undoubtedly connected Kashmir to the world like never before. It has made access to information easier, but it has also fragmented our attention spans. Scrolling endlessly through social media cannot replace the slow, transformative journey that a good book offers. In losing the habit of reading, we risk losing our ability to think critically, feel deeply, and imagine fearlessly the very qualities that helped our ancestors endure and blossom even in the hardest of times.
Yet hope remains. Across Kashmir, silent revolutions are happening passionate individuals are setting up community libraries, teachers are inspiring students to rediscover classics, and young writers are publishing poignant new works. Initiatives to revive literary festivals, book readings, and local publishing houses are signs that the spirit is not yet extinguished. “Be like a candle: burn yourself to give light to others.” – Sheikh-ul-Alam
This World Book Day, Kashmir must remember that the cure for ignorance, division, and despair lies within the covers of a book. Every home that adds a bookshelf, every child gifted a story; every evening spent reading together is an act of quiet resistance and a pledge to our future.
Let us honor our land’s glorious tradition of learning by renewing our commitment to it. Let us gift a book to a friend, spend time with the wisdom of Lal Ded and Nund Rishi, and inspire our children to see books not as burdens but as bridges to the worlds of imagination, compassion, and truth.
Because in every word carefully read, and every thought carefully nurtured, we keep alive the dream that Kashmir has always carried a dream of light, wisdom, and enduring peace.
(Ishfaq Manzoor is a Library Futurist and can be reached at: [email protected] and Khan Irshad can be reached at: [email protected])
