SHUBHANGI SHIFA
Ranchi, Dec 10: Eminent writer and poet Javed Akhtar on Saturday said that people have stopped reading like earlier times now. Akhtar was addressing the crowd after the inauguration of the two-day Jharkhand Literary Meet sponsored by Tata Steel.
He further said, “Life now moves at an express rate, however, this is not something that should be concerning, as this is the law of nature. Accessibility has also played a major role in this. When I began reading classic novels as a child, my elders advised me to be patient in the first forty pages, but now it is impossible, as the writers now want to pull readers from the very first lines.”
He said that people are now gaining speed at the price of depth. However, he applauded the interest of the younger generation in books. He further reminded the audience that in earlier days, it would be a matter of pride to have a library at home, but now, interior decorators often buy books for homes to match the aesthetic of the houses.
“Seeing the younger generation write, I’m both pleased and saddened. Pleased to see the passion they have for writing, and disheartened because of the lack of technical knowledge about writing. Words are like thin papers, while phonetics is like paperweights. If there is an imbalance here, the thin papers will fly away. In the case of writers, it is a matter of instinct in regard to how they choose their words. In order to understand it, the new writers need to read the eminent writers,” the writer added.
“If plays written by Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde and Shaw then can be a part of Literature at present, why not imagine a time when screenplays written in present times will be a part of literature in future? Even OTT platforms at present are presenting a huge opportunity to writers, which people often don’t understand. Don’t fight technology, but use it as an opportunity,” Akhtar said.
Furthermore, writer and Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji said, “Literary fest inspires writers and poets to write and read more. This also inspired regional and tribal language writers, as it gives a national and international stage to them.”
She further said that the lessening number of readers is a reason for worry for everyone. She also added that readers in present times, are more prominent in Kolkata and Bengal and the reason behind it is that writers worked on stories for children, which inculcated reading habits in them at an early stage. She further inspired writers to write in the mother tongues to inculcate reading habits in children and also to save the regional languages.
Furthermore, veteran journalist Ashutosh Chaturvedi, on occasion said that technology has affected the reading habit and love for literature in people. As a result, the ideologies are affected, because the younger generation is mostly a product of ‘WhatsApp university’. The mall culture is a representation of modern times, however, there is no place for bookstores there. Later, Chanakya Chaudhary of Tata Steel talked about the reason behind the organisation of the Literary Fest and said that is an initiative by Tata Steel to fulfil their responsibility towards society by working to create an interest in literature.
