The book reading is picking up in Kashmir in past more than a month, with youth choosing the hard copies of their choice to overcome the void left in absence of internet services post abrogation of Article 370 on August 5.According to wire service Kashmir News Service (KNO), the time usually spent on internet for surfing social media sites, watching online videos or playing online games is now used to read books, especially by the young lot of Kashmir.This is going on from past more than a month in absence of internet services post abrogation of Article 370 on August 5.“I would spent three to four hours every day on social media sites, now I utilize the same time on book reading,” Mir Anayat, told KNO, adding, in past one month, he read several books including books on Kashmir.Flanked by his friends surrounding him, Anayat said for first few weeks of internet blockade, he was clueless about utilizing his time. “Sitting idle at home was killing me, and there was no other activity to engage during the day and night, so I started reading books which was available at home,” he said.
Amir Manan, another youth from Rajbagh said: “After revocation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir, I was curious to know about the history of Kashmir.” He added, he was clueless where to get the book on Kashmir history as all the shops were shut, till one of his friends suggested him to visit Lal Chowk early in the morning to purchase a book from newspaper sellers there.Hilal Ahmad of Khan News Agency at Regal Chowk said there was a good demand of books about Kashmir in past more than a month now.“Teenagers also came to me during these days, asking for books about Kashmir history and politics,” Ahmad said, adding, he was sometimes shocked to encounter teenagers asking for books on Article 370 and political developments happened in past 70 years.Some people ask for fiction, however, most of the customers’ demanded books written by Kashmiri authors.Most of the selling books were: Curfewed Night by Basharat Peer, The Book of Gold Leaves by Mirza Waheed, Scattered Souls by Shahnawaz Basheer, I am the Caravan of time by Umar Dewani and Kashmir: Rage and Reason by Gowhar Geelani.Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris by Christopher Snedden, Blazing Chinar are also in demand.