Couch potatoes8217; conversion has begun

If a poor man wants a book but doesn8217;t have sufficient money, they accept whatever he has. Often, they also give books free to poor children. The loss8217; is made good by donations from well-wishers.

Says Sheetal Patel: 8220;Books have influenced us. So we thought good books should reach the maximum number of people.8221; Adds Sanjay: 8220;Television can provide information and entertainment but good books build character8221;.

Thestory began six months ago when the idea of taking books to the people took root during a workshop of Vishwagram8217;, which offers a platform for people from diverse backgrounds to interact, and discuss anything they like. But how to select good books which would interest the youth? They prepared a list and sent it to renowned writers of Gujarat, like Gunvant Shah, Makarand Dave, and Vimla Tai, for suggestions.

After additions and deletions, the list was finalised. It consists of Gujarati translations of biographies of great men and women, literature, writings of the thinkers from ancient to the modern period, all brought out by reputed publishers. The members and friends contributed money. Sheetal8217;s mother, Induben Patel, also a member of Vishwagram, gave Rs 30,000.

They decided to sit with their books by busy roadsides. To ensure that they reached many people, they would change venues frequently, and wear placards and caps, with slogans about the glory of books.

Recalls Lopa: 8220;Our first experiment inRajkot on Kalawad road was successful when we sold books worth Rs 1,000. Now, the average sales in a day are around Rs 2,500 and people stop to buy some of the best books in literature, philosophy and fiction.8221; Deepak Rawal, a teacher from Una, saw the Vishwagram bookshop at Yagnik Road during a visit to the town.

8220;Initially, I thought the youths were trying to earn some money like other hawkers. But I found their collection great. And when I spoke to them and they explained their mission, I was impressed,8221; Rawal said.

Vinay Trivedi, trustee of a primary school, was attracted by the group8217;s posters while passing by Kalawad Road one day. He said the Vishwagram shop had a better collection of books than any other shop in Rajkot. He even bought some rare books from them.

Impressed by Vishwagram8217;s work, people are joining it. Sales tax officer Kantibhai Parmar and his wife even contributed Rs 15,000 to facilitate purchase of more books. Yasin Dalal, Head of Department of Journalism at SaurashtraUniversity, said Vishwagram was doing an excellent service. He pointed out that unlike television, which made the viewer a passive observer, books made the reader imagine and think.

Now, the group is looking beyond Rajkot. On January 8, 9 and 10, they took their books to Disa in North Gujarat. Next, they want to go on a yatra8217; from Rajkot to Mehasana, covering all the towns on the way, says Sheetal. 8220;We would like to go to all the towns and cities of Gujarat.