KASARAGOD: Passengers do not have to spend their time glued to their phones while waiting for buses at the Kasaragod KSRTC bus station anymore. With over 300 books in Malayalam, English and Kannada to choose from, ‘Pusthakakoodu’ (book nest) — a reading space set up at the bus station by the bibliophiles among the KSRTC staff — now provides commuters a much productive way to keep them occupied.
The book nest was inaugurated on August 5 by Kasaragod District Collector Arjun Pandian, who lauded the initiative.
Established by Vayanasala Samskarika Kootayma (Library and Cultural Collective) of KSRTC workers including mechanics, drivers and conductors, Pusthakakoodu is gradually growing, with another 200 books expected to arrive shortly.
It all started during the pandemic when the KSRTC employees who loved reading books formed a WhatsApp group to discuss their favourite works and authors.
The group grew bigger over time and they registered as an association in 2021. They have gone on to publish and distribute books as well.
The collective procures books in bulk directly from the publishers for a discount and circulates among the staff. Thus, the books travel from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram, carried by avid readers in the KSRTC workforce.
The next initiative of the collective was to start book nests in major bus stations across Kerala.
They obtained permission from the KSRTC chairman to start book nests in six bus stations. The first Pusthakakoodu was set up in February, at the Kannur bus station. “Kasaragod is our second venture and we are going to start the third book nest in Payyanur in September,” says P V Ratheesan, founder of the collective and a mechanic at the Kasaragod depot.
Similar book nests at KSRTC bus stations in Thodupuzha, Cherthala and Parasala are in the pipeline.
“Reading books on mobile phones is fine but there is a segment of old timers who find solace in printed books. Pusthakakoodu aims to quench that thirst for reading,” said Ratheesan.
Almost all the books placed in Pusthakakoodu are donated by the association members, their friends and family, he added.
Initiatives like these receive a lot of support from women members of the collective.
“Most of the male staff at KSRTC come from blue-collar backgrounds. Our women staff, on the other hand, had jobs like teaching before they got placed in KSRTC through PSC. So they have a better knowledge of the value of reading habits,” Ratheesan pointed out. The books are a great comfort to the staff who have to stay overnight in the depot.
“I find this initiative very useful. Not just for us, but also for the passengers who can spend their time reading while we are preparing the buses for the journey,” quipped Nidheeshkumar C K, a conductor.
Transport officer Priyesh Kumar said that the pusthakakoodu would be expanded, based on the response. “We have plans to set up four more book nests,” he added.
