Nationwide ‘Vaayanasadhas’ to mark 30th National Reading Day celebrations

By Chandhana V. Gopan

In a major initiative to promote reading and literacy, the P.N. Panicker Foundation will organise around one lakh ‘Vaayanasadhas’ across the country as part of the 30th National Reading Day celebrations.

The nationwide year-long campaign that kicks off on June 19 seeks to rekindle the culture of reading among people of all ages and backgrounds by taking reading to the heart of communities.

The Vaayanasadhas, or collective reading sessions, will be held in public and private spaces ranging from schools and colleges to libraries, bus stops, markets, and other community gathering points.

The initiative draws inspiration from the late P.N. Panicker, often referred to as the father of the library and literacy movement in Kerala. His legacy continues to shape reading campaigns across the nation.

“These sessions aim at encouraging reading of books and newspapers and fostering discussions on the importance of reading as a habit and a tool for empowerment. The P.N. Panicker Foundation sees it as our duty to not only promote reading among communities but also literacy. The foundation has played a major role in achievement of the high literacy rate in the State,” says N. Balagopal, vice chairman of the foundation and son of P.N. Panicker.

This year’s effort marks a significant expansion of the foundation’s activities, with an emphasis on inclusivity and community participation.

National Reading Day, observed on June 19 every year to commemorate Panicker’s death anniversary, has grown from a Kerala-based observance to a national movement. The week following Reading Day is celebrated as Reading Week.

With the scale and scope of this year’s initiative, the foundation hopes to inspire a nationwide reading revolution that strengthens literacy, critical thinking, and cultural awareness.

The inauguration of the Vaayanasadhas will be held at the official launch of the Reading Day celebrations by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Tagore Theatre here on June 19.

(The writer is an intern with the The Hindu Thiruvananthapuram Bureau)