New Delhi, July 11: Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Jayaprakash Narayan Public Library in New Delhi on Saturday. During the event, he addressed the audience and shared insights on the significance of libraries in promoting education and culture. On the social media platform ‘X’, he stated, “Libraries are a powerful means to disseminate modern education along with India’s culture and knowledge to the masses.”
Addressing the attendees, Shah remarked, “Today is an important day for Delhi; we are inaugurating a library named after the great freedom fighter and thinker, Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan, who accomplished numerous monumental tasks for our country. The essence of nation-building and bringing glory to the nation lies in transforming knowledge into practical wisdom, which is obtained from libraries.”
He further noted, “A great thinker once said that the future of a country cannot be assessed by its agricultural prosperity, market crowds, or the number of industries. Instead, it is determined by the number of people in its libraries and how many youth are present there.”
The Home Minister shared an initiative from the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha, where libraries have been established in every village, each containing 3,000 to 4,000 books. These libraries are linked to larger libraries housing millions of books. Additionally, four mobile vans have been deployed to ensure that children can request books, which are delivered to their villages every Friday. Efforts have also been made to connect each library with local schools.
Shah emphasized that the experiences, thoughts, and wisdom of great individuals and scholars have been preserved for us through books. He encouraged everyone to study these works, evaluate their knowledge against personal experience, and implement them in their lives. “I am confident that you will notice significant and positive changes in your personality, thoughts, and life direction,” he added.
He urged the youth to enrich their thoughts with the knowledge contained in books. An advanced e-library has also been established for young people, providing online access to over one crore digital books. The entire library complex offers free Wi-Fi, along with modern monitors and digital study facilities for students to prepare notes and download essential materials.
Shah highlighted that the building houses a collection of over 32,000 books across two floors, with special arrangements for researchers and students. A modern reading area has also been created to provide a quiet environment for study and knowledge acquisition.
He confidently stated, “Until you read the works of national poet Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinakar’, you cannot fully understand India. To grasp the soul, culture, pride, and struggles of this nation, it is essential to read Dinakar’s literature. Libraries are the most powerful medium to access such great literary figures.”
Shah reflected on the historical context, saying that during the Emergency, when every opposition leader was imprisoned and newspapers were censored, the slogan ‘Jay Prakash’ became a beacon of hope. This led to Indira Gandhi losing the election in Raebareli. Jayaprakash Narayan fiercely opposed Indira Gandhi’s thirst for power and the Emergency, leading student movements in Bihar and Gujarat. He called for a ‘Total Revolution’ from Gandhi Maidan in Bihar.
The Home Minister concluded by acknowledging that Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan spread the ideology of Sarvodaya to every village, leading to the surrender of over 250 rebels in Chambal and eradicating the issue of dacoity in 22 districts across four states. While he studied foreign ideas, he lived as a true Indian.
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