Students read Gandhi, stake claim to world record

LUCKNOW To inculcate a reading habit among students, UP governor Anandiben Patel led the ‘Padhe Lucknow, Badhe Lucknow’ campaign, a storybook reading session here

LUCKNOW To inculcate a reading habit among students, UP governor Anandiben Patel led the ‘Padhe Lucknow, Badhe Lucknow’ campaign, a storybook reading session here on Tuesday.

The governor sat along with the students and read a storybook in a ‘lead by example’ move for others to follow.

The district administration claimed that close to one million students from Class 6 to university level simultaneously read books in over 2,000 educational institutions in the state capital.

The campaign, which Lucknow hosted for the first time, also staked claim for entry into the World Book of Records, on the eve of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.

“The initiative was a great success with the participation of around 9,72,125 students from Class 6 to university level across 2,278 institutions in Lucknow district,” said SP Singh, vice-chancellor of Lucknow University, who was the nodal officer of this campaign.

Patel reached Government Inter College, Nishatganj in the morning and sat on a chair, like other students, and got engrossed in reading a book. The students were pleasantly surprised to see her sitting in the classroom on a chair like theirs.

After the reading session, she interacted with some of the students and inquired about what they read, said college principal Kamlesh Kumari.

As part of the programme’s theme, the students mostly read books on the life of Mahatma Gandhi or the freedom struggle. But, they had the option of reading other material too during the session from 11am to 11:45am.

The response was overwhelming and students enjoyed every bit of it. Shivanjli Chaturvedi, BA second year student at Isabella Thoburn College, said: “It was an enriching experience. I got to learn a lot about Gandhiji’s life and his views on women’s condition during that time.”

During the session, the students were told to switch off their mobile phones and maintain silence, a degree college principal said.

Students of St Joseph’s College, Sitapur Road branch, learnt the practices and sayings of Gandhiji by reading topics like ‘Yug Purush – Mahatma Gandhi Adarsh Samaj ka Charitra and Saadgi’.

Students of all branches of SKD Academy participated in the book reading session, said its director Manish Singh.

Visually impaired students of Sparsh Government Blind Girls Inter College, Mohaan Road, also participated in this campaign, said Alok Kumar Singh, lecturer.

The governor also expressed concern that in today’s ‘machine era’, the new generation students had lost interest in reading books. “They were more drawn to mobile phones, TV, Internet and other activities, which resulted in decline in moral values,” she said.

The ‘Padhe Lucknow’ event was also organised at Lucknow Jail on Tuesday. As many as 600 inmates were provided books ranging from autobiographies, poems and stories including those on the life of Mahatma Gandhi, which they read along with senior prison officials.

“The inmates actively participated in the exercise. They also showed interest in more such events. We will try to provide books to inmates who are interested in reading,” said PN Pandey, senior prison superintendent of Lucknow jail.

Students enrolled in LU, degree colleges, technical educational institutions, Dr Shakuntala Misra University, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, King George’s Medical University, all schools (from class 6–12), Madarsa Board, Ashram Board and Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan were also part of this campaign.

A team of six members from the World Book of Records visited Lucknow University. The team was divided into three and members visited other institutions as well. For certification, LU will submit the complete data of the campaign to the members within the next few days.