Tundla Railway Station, which comes under the Prayagraj division of Uttar Pradesh, is setting an example for other railway stations. Firstly, with the beautification of its premises and promoting gender-neutral roles for its entire workforce, and now, with a brand, new library! One who enters the railway station is first welcomed by the beautiful wall paintings at the entrance, and then a library in the waiting room, where they can read books while waiting for a train.
Like the other initiatives, this idea was also put forward by the Division Traffic Manager, Tundla, Mr. Sanjay Kumar, a 2016-batch IRTS officer. By starting this library, Mr. Kumar is not only serving the prime purpose – that of spending time productively while waiting – but is also trying to inculcate the habit of reading among people.
THE IDEA
While speaking to Indian Masterminds, IRTS officer Sanjay Kumar said, “The idea for starting this library was put up by a friend and some passengers who wanted a space, which they can use while waiting at the railway station. Earlier, there used to be wheelers that sold books. However, due to poor patronage, these were all converted into multi-purpose stalls, where mostly food is sold now.”
Also, in this era, where people kill their time using mobile phones and other tech gadgets, a library in the station would motivate people to use their time productively. Mr. Kumar said, “It’s better to use spare time in reading rather than using mobile phones and wasting time on social media. Therefore, this idea was taken up to make people more productive and make them utilise their time in a better way.”
BOOK DONATION
The officer mentioned that the library was made at very low cost, as the waiting room was turned into a library room, with an old almirah being used as a book shelf. Also, there was an attendant in the waiting room who now looks after the library.
“For the books, we approached the National Book Trust of India and got a bunch of books as a gift from them. It mostly included books related to poetry, literature, etc. by some of India’s finest authors, like Mahadevi Verma and Premchand. Books for children were also added in the library so that they develop a habit of reading,” Mr. Kumar said.
The library was officially launched on March 31 by a passenger! In a tweet, Mr. Kumar wrote, “When we invited a passenger to inaugurate our library, she was initially hesitant. Told her it is their money, and it belongs to them. For us, public are the most important persons in the premise, and they are VIP.”
According to the officer, people are intrigued by the library, and even a single person inculcating a reading habit through it, would serve the purpose of the initiative. He is now planning to take a similar step in Aligarh and Etawah railway stations, as well.
