(Article No: 8 , By : Syed Mustafa Ahmad.)
I think the best companion or friend is a book. It is the book that has been with us since a long time ago. The developed personalities have the virtue of reading books. They know this fact that behind anyone’s victory, the books have played the greatest role. If they become the richest persons in the world, they never leave the bond of books to be broken. William Bill Gates has one of the best libraries at his home. He always likes the company of books whenever he has spare time. Indeed, he finds time for book reading. So, it makes clear that it is necessary for every person to like books as they like air, water, clothes and food. But in the present times, this is not the case. The already crumbled system of reading culture, has become the target of new threats like internet. However, internet is not the sole cause for it. It has many causes that has made it possible to reach this stage. Let us try to know some of the causes.
The first and foremost cause is that we don’t know our purpose of living. We have no aim. We aimlessly live worse lives than animals. Our only concern is to fill our bellies, have bank balances, rituals and customs, etc. When this is the condition of any country, nation or state, they will automatically have no liking for learning. Their learning will be of no value. Their only concern is paper degrees. They get these by hook or by crook. They won’t think of learning beyond the academic books. It is a pity that they don’t even learn their academic books; but go on rote learning the things so that they pass the examination. An Israeli student reads 40 books in a year. In our situation, how can a society progress and achieve greatest heights?
The second cause is that our environment is not compatible with learning. Here, donkeys rule the roost. Intellectualism has lost its way in the dreary desert of dead habitation. People hate those persons who buy and sell books. They call it madness to read books. They, instead, want to follow materialism. Big houses, cars, colourful clothes, etc., are the main motives of life. Reading a book is not their in their domain. They don’t have time for this. They want to spend their precious time in useless talks and chats but never bother to open a book and read some pages of some interest. Environment should be of critical debate and thinking.
The third cause is internet. The world is at finger tips. Why to carry a load of books instead of keeping it in a single device? Internet promised us that every kind of knowledge is there. Indeed, it is. But the poison it has brought with it is overlapping its benefits. There are millions of libraries on the internet but more than this there are the things that divert a person’s mind. Games, apps like tik tok, gambling, video making, etc. reduce the chances of learning anything new. It has also affected our health. Suicides have increased. Mental depression is on rise. Social distancing has increased. Alienation is the order of the day. Imitation rules the roost. Money earning has become the newest trend. Craziness is the art of everyone. So, it has marred our society.
The fourth cause is the lenient approach of the government. They themselves are ignorant and uneducated. They can’t do anything in this regard. They need power, money and fame. Their only concern is promises that are to be broken. They know that politics is about coming and going. Why should I use my mind in this hectic job of inculcating the spirit of reading culture? It is better to enjoy the years that are in my luck. Why to take this extra responsibility? But they don’t know that it is their main responsibility to acquaint the masses about the world and themselves. But they will waste money and time in futile pursuits; rather than in this good endeavor. It means that we have not still produced the ideal statesmen. Statesmen like Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Voltaire, Imran Khan, Recip Tayyib Erdogan, etc., are rarely found. They were, are and will be voracious readers. They left, leave and will leave a long last effect on the masses.
The last cause in my opinion is that we themselves are not interested. We hate books. We are impatient. We become bored when reading a book. We want something delightful. We want something charming. We want something attractive. We want something colourful. But it is deception. The charm lies in reading and imitating the best minds of the world. Steve Jobs, William Bill Gates, Jeff Bezoz, etc., share their experiences of lives and make us aware about the real motive of life. But we want money in a huff and don’t bother to work hard for it.
In the above lines, I tried my best to throw some light over reading culture. Why is it important? Where do we stand? All these things are more or less discussed. In the end, it becomes clear that in order to progress in this world, reading culture should be our first preference. Other things should follow it. From home to the market, every one should be awaken that reading culture is as important as oxygen. A labor should be in a position to read a book. A student should read more than 40 books in a year. Khalil Gibran, J.K. Rowling, Roald Dahl, William Wordsworth, William Shakespeare, Salman Rushdie, Khalid Hosseini, Syed Omar, Maryam Jameelah, Edward Said, Hannah Arendt, Virginia Woolf, Bertrand Russell, G.B. Shaw, Ernest Hemmingway, Shahnaz Bashir, Aga Shahid Ali, Murakami, Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, Naeem Siddiqui, Sayyid Qutb, Orya Maqbool Jan, Allama Iqbal, Shubli No’mani, Muhammad Asad, Marmaduke Pickthall, Thomas Arnold, etc., should be read early. The need of the hour is to leave leniency and embark on the path of reading culture.
