NEW DELHI: A newly-built library named after revolutionary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh in a nondescript neighbourhood in east Delhi—Priya Enclave—is not just another reading room. Until recently a few months ago, a municipal corporation garbage dump existed at the location, which has been repurposed to benefit ‘marginalised’ communities in the trans-Yamuna area.
It is an initiative of east Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir, who in March, had announced plans to open five such facilities on the line of community kitchens run by him in the region. The facility named Shaheed Bhagat Singh Jan Library (SBSJL) is set to be inaugurated in the first week of October. Preparations are underway to open more such libraries in Shahdara, Trilokpuri, and Mayur Vihar.
The two-room facility, measuring 1,500 square feet (sqft), houses 2,000 books with one corner dedicated to manuscripts related to PM Narendra Modi and Braille books. There is also a café for the readers.
“Information poverty is the biggest challenge for our country. This new initiative is for the marginalised communities of east Delhi to eradicate and fight this challenge.
The library in the memory of legendary freedom fighter Shaheed Bhagat Singh aims to continuously provide access to online and offline knowledge material and resources to the community, especially to young adults so that they can make a significant contribution to creating a literate community and society by engaging themselves in the larger realm of learning,” said Gambhir.
The MP also aims to run skill development, community engagement, and awareness session programmes in the facility. “These spaces (libraries) will serve as disaster-preparedness centres for conducting community awareness programmes like how to handle any pandemic or epidemic situation, awareness sessions,” said Gambhir’s office.
Also during the summer vacations every year these libraries will play the role of extending remedial coaching to the children who can’t afford extra coaching.