Words Atul Sathe
In this era of reels, shorts, tweets and selfies, fast reading or quick watching seems to be the order of the day, just like fast food! However, as fast food provides momentary satisfaction with no long-term benefits, such cursory viewing doesn’t necessarily build one’s knowledge or personality. The hard work put into studies and serious reading cannot be substituted by random surfing on the internet or social media. While, these mediums do have their place in information dissemination, studying and reading books alone grooms geniuses and experts. People from different regional and linguistic backgrounds who have made pathbreaking contributions to the nation from Rabindranath Tagore to APJ Abdul Kalam, and Lokmanya Tilak and Dr. Ambedkar to Rajendra Prasad, have all been voracious readers and then writers in later life. In light of these facts, the culture of reading and libraries have a major role to play in shaping a prosperous nation.
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Abhyas Kendra Granthalaya
Towards this end, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Abhyas Kendra Granthalaya or Library run by the Mumbai based NGO, Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP), has been doing great work in Mumbai and the surrounding region. Since, its establishment in 1993, Dr. Ambedkar Library has offered a rich reading and learning experience to people from different walks of life and age groups in three languages – English, Marathi and Hindi. The 18,000+ books, along with around 1,000 periodicals, housed in the sprawling library, which itself is a part of RMP’s serene and green campus in Uttan on the outskirts of Mumbai, cover the categories of philosophy, religion, social sciences, language, pure sciences, technology, fine arts, decorative arts, literature, geography and history. It also has a small branch in Dadar in central Mumbai.
A Valuable Resource for Scholars and Professionals
Over the years, this library, recognized by the Directorate of Libraries, Government of Maharashtra, has been widely referred by politicians, civil servants, journalists, researchers, students, fellows, trainers, teachers, NGOs and participants of the myriad workshops and seminars continuously taking place at RMP. Apart from imparting knowledge and wisdom, the library has also been inculcating qualities such as leadership, and social, cultural and political awareness among the readers. The library also arranges book exhibitions on the campus at the time of certain events.
Old Newspaper Clippings, Lok Sabha Debates, and More
There was a time when searching for news was a tough task. Dr. Ambedkar Library ran a detailed subject-wise newspaper clippings service till 2010. The same is still available in soft copy on request for those interested in digging into it. Another unique feature is the extensive collection of Lok Sabha debates. For a student and practitioner of policy, law, civil service and other disciplines, this is truly an invaluable tool. There are books on history of various political parties that have played their specific role in shaping the country. There are dissertations, speeches and research reports on different subjects that add to the intellectual stimulus. Along with contemporary Marathi books, for connoisseurs of old Marathi literature, there are copies of discontinued Marathi magazines and old books on subjects like psychology.
From William Dalrymple to David Frawley and the Constitution of India
Let’s take a sneak peek at some of the noteworthy titles. To begin with, what’s more significant to Indian readers, than the Constitution! Well, it is present in the reference section for all. Some of the new arrivals across subjects include ‘The Golden Road – How Ancient India Transformed the World’ by William Dalrymple, ‘Ekatma Manav Darshan: Glossary of Concepts’ by Nana Lele & Ravindra Mahajan, and ‘Just Play – Life Lessons from Traditional Indian Games’ by Vinita Siddhartha.
A Treasure Trove of Knowledge
‘The Beautiful Tree’, an insightful book by Dharampal on ancient Indian history is another attraction. There are many books from personal collections of eminent personalities on various subjects. Some of the books that are popular among the members include ‘The Battle for Rama – Case of the Temple at Ayodhya’ by Meenakshi Jain, and ‘Single Man – Life and Times of Nitish Kumar in Bihar’ by Sankarshan Thakur. Some other timeless titles include ‘Sri Bhagavad Gita Rahasya’ by Lokmanya Tilak, ‘Six Golden Pages in the History of Bharat’ by Veer Savarkar, ‘Arise Arjuna’ by Dr. David Frawley, ‘Poverty of Philosophy’ by Karl Marx, ‘Second World War’ (book series) by Winston Churchill, and ‘War and Peace’ by Leo Tolstoy.
Workshops and Educational Initiatives
The library organizes workshops on conserving books for the staff members of public libraries. One such workshop is happening on 28th February 2025, in Marathi. The librarian, Dilip Navele, regularly conducts lectures in schools and colleges in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to inculcate the habit of reading. The library provides all the routine services such as lending, reference, internet, photocopies and scans of selected material.
The author works as the Public Relations Officer at Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini
(India CSR)
