At a time when many people have lost interest in books and libraries in the city are shutting down, a small hamlet in Alipurduar district has won the statues of Kitab Gaon or book village.
The village has won global recognition and tourists, both domestic and international, and students from across the country are visiting the village.
The district magistrate said: “It is really amazing to note the interest of people in reading books. They are engaged in different vocation but at the end of the day they make it a point to read books. There in a central library in the village and people visit there to return the books they have read and issue fresh ones.”
The village, Panijhora, is situated at the foothill of Buxa and Jayanti hills. The population is only 320 spreading over 71 families. There are 158 males and 162 women. The women play a leading role in inspiring their children to read books. The people of the village belong to Dukpa, Rava, Khariya and Bodo tribes.
During Covid, the economic condition of the village was badly hit. The number of school dropouts went up and the women lost their jobs. Many youth became the victims of drug abuse.
At this juncture, an NGO set up a mobile library and it may sound unbelievable, the library became the game-changer. Mothers began to bring their children to read books in the mobile library. As they did not have to attend their schools they got time to read books. There were books on rhymes, story books and books with pictorial illustration.
The people of the village mostly youths, felt attracted toward reading books. A central library came up having 3,000 books.
Now the village has said no to drugs and plastic. The women are involved in bee-keeping and knitting.