Pandemic paves way for nurturing reading habit
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 09 2020: While the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown life out of gear, it has also triggered the reading habit amongst people, especially the youth.

With the pandemic forcing them to stay at home, the youths are getting more time which they spend reading books.

26-year-old Somananda Aheibam, a resident of Iram Siphai said reading books is easing hardship during this tough time of COVID-19.Reading books, he said keeps him occupied and helps cut social gatherings.

"I recently bought some Manipuri literature books.

Reading the books has actually given me new perspectives on many subjects and fields.

This has also alleviated the boredom due to the pandemic.

Cutting social gatherings and refraining oneself from hanging out with friends cause anxiety and dullness.

But, reading as a new-found hobby has helped me overcome the boredom and actually expand my horizon," Somananda said.

Though he did not have a reading habit in the past, Somananda said he has already consumed 4/5 books written by Hijam Guno, Pacha Meitei, Dr Kamal and Ningthoujam Kunjamohon last month.

Khangembam Parihanba Meitei of Khundrakpam Makha Leikai who has cleared Class XII this year, said he "loves reading" and he now has.

time to read books other than school syllabus.

"The pandemic has given me time to read books other than school syllabus.

When there was no COVID-19 I did hot have time and couldn't read other books.

Now I have plenty of time," he said.

Parihanba said he is more interested in reading Manipuri literature and books based on history of Manipur.

He purchased and read about 20 such books from July till now.

Chabungbam Babina Devi, a 27-year-old research scholar at JNU, Delhi and a resident of Wangkhei Ningthem Pukhri Mapal said that she has completed reading around 25 books which are mostly based on Manipur history, politics and religion after she returned to the State from Delhi in March due to COVID-19 pandemic.

She loves reading and has a good number of collections.

She often buys books about Manipur from the book stores along Governor Road, Babina said adding she also read books online.

Opining that reading books does not form a cultural capital, she said people having book reading habits usually belong to just a few particular groups of the society.

Many still do not have reading habit.

Babina continued that she developed the habit of reading during her school days and it was further enhanced in college days while spending time with some people who love reading.

Although reading books is helpful in many ways, she said relying solely on them and avoiding social interaction would have harmful and negative impacts on life.

"Manipuri society has a strong oral tradition.

One must learn extra knowledge from the day to day experiences and surroundings beside the knowledge from books," she said.

Meanwhile, information culled from the Readers' Book Store, a book shop inside Manipur University campus which also sells books online said the number of people buying books online has increased during the pandemic.

There is a huge demand for indigenous literature and philosophical literature.

There are also a few customers who buy books in bulk every month, the book store said.

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