Aizawl, April 24 (PTI): Amid the continuing lockdown that has confined life within the four walls, Mizoram's largest philanthropic organisation found much relevance in the words of French poet and dramatist Victor Hugo: "It is from books that wise people derive consolation in the troubles of life."
The Young Mizo Association (YMA) has come up with 'doorstep library' service to put an end to boredom, boost morale and promote the habit of reading.
The 'Kawtkai Library' -- offering books from a variety of genres in English and Mizo languages -- was rolled out by the Ramhlun South branch of YMA on April 18.
Ramhlun South is one of the biggest localities in Aizawl with at least 1,500 houses.
"The idea was conceived soon after the imposition of the lockdown... Our members are reaching out to people at their doorsteps with at least eight categories of books," said B Lalmalasawma, chairman of the library and documentation sub-committee.
"The primary purpose was to encourage reading books and effective utilisation of free time, apart from boosting the morale of people," he told PTI, adding, the idea also found resonance with YMA's theme of the year to promote reading and learning.
Under this arrangement, a reader can borrow a maximum of four books free of cost for 10 days.
Established in 1935, YMA is the largest philanthropic organisation in Mizoram with around 4.5 lakh members.
YMA Ramhlun South branch secretary Hrathmingthanga said pictures of books are shared on a WhatsApp group of the locality to enable people to make their selection.
"We also collect the books from the readers' homes, and social distancing is strictly followed while distributing and collecting books," Hrathmingthanga said.
He said the YMA branch is also planning to give away prizes to readers borrowing the most number of books.
The Ramhlun branch of YMA started its own public library in 1985 and was recognised by the state government in 1991.
The library has a collection of over 1,500 books, Hrathmingthanga said.
With a literacy rate of 91.33 per cent, Mizoram is third in the country after Kerala and Lakshadweep, according to the 2011 Census.