Reading is to decode, understand, evaluate and foster knowledge and information. It leads to appreciation and
understanding of the pluralistic nature of society, cultures, and values. Our
people must read and access changing ideas and expressions.
Despite all the benefits books offer, Bhutanese are quite poor in reading
habits. I would say reading habits have declined, owing to rapid development in
our country. Bhutan has taken ‘a great leap’ within a short span of time, and
this has affected our readers. Television, computers, the internet, and motor
vehicles, among others, keep our youth occupied. Or are they conquered?
Just a decade ago, back in my
village, when I was in my early teens, my family sat together and read religious
canons, like Kanjur and Tenjur, to cleanse our sins and for good fortune. Now,
hardly any youth has heard of the great books.
In this so-called ‘new life’,
reading has to be forced. In schools, students are taken over by modern
amenities. Reading habits are dying and may completely die soon.
In bookstores, the treasures are
left collecting dust. Our children desire sophisticated gadgets, fancy
miniskirts, skin-tight clothes, jeans and sugary sweets. But the books have
more than all these to satisfy. Buying a book is buying a life’s wisdom.
The object of writing this article
is because I am a bibliophile, a great lover of books. I would like to promote
reading habits. I have persuaded my students incessantly to read and buy books.
But sadly, the aforementioned reasons have conquered some.
I’ve also hoping to publish a book, hoping
to give a typical Bhutanese author to our readers. However, it will not
received well, i guess. The problem – too few readers! Hardly anyone visits the stores
and picks up a book.
How can we have a knowledge-based
society if we are not ready to read and learn? We had a knowledge-based-society
a decade ago, when books were considered gold. Having modern imported gadgets and machines
hinders our in-depth history and culture. It’s like trying to construct a road
on a river. We become ignorant, even as we live in the so-called modern life because we ignore learning. We want ease and to be laidback; as a result of
this, we are becoming a so-so group.
To build a knowledge center, our
government must promote reading, through the formation of reading circles/groups,
and promoting Bhutanese writers through some means. This in turn will promote
readerships among our youth.
This article
was published in K2 magazine, kuensel on16 December, 2010
