Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah today inaugurated the Jayaprakash Narayan Library in New Delhi. On the occasion, Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta, Delhi Government Minister Shri Parvesh Verma, Chairman of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Shri Keshav Chandra, and several other distinguished dignitaries were present.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that a great thinker once remarked that a nation's future cannot be assessed by the crowds in its markets or the number of industries it has. Rather, it is measured by the number of young people studying in its libraries.
He said that knowledge and wisdom form the foundation of all activities that drive a nation forward, contribute to nation-building, and lead it to prosperity. Such knowledge, he added, can truly be imparted only through a library. Shri Amit Shah appealed to the younger generation to make it a point to associate themselves with a library at least once.
He said that being associated with a library brings about a remarkable refinement in one's personality. Sharing his own experience, the Home Minister said that the small town where he was born and spent his childhood had a well-stocked library. He noted that his association with that library brought about a profound transformation in his life.
He said that while reading bookshe gradually found himself progressing to the study of the Vedas and the Upanishads without even realizing it. Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that today he noticed a line written in the auditorium: “One should think before speaking, because words never come back.”
He said that while one should always think before speaking, one must first read in order to know what to think—and such understanding can only be gained through a library. Shri Amit Shah said that libraries have played a significant role in shaping his life.
He shared that he has undertaken a small initiative in his parliamentary constituency, where a library has been established in almost every village, each housing around 3,000 to 4,000 books. These libraries are connected to a central library that has a collection of over 1.25 lakh books.
In addition, four mobile library vans have also been deployed. He said that children in the villages can request any book of their choice by writing its title in the library, and every Friday, the requested books are delivered to their respective villages. He added that efforts have also been made to link every library with schools.
Union Home Minister urged the Delhi Government to interconnect all libraries across the city and formulate a comprehensive plan to link them with schools. He said that a well-defined action plan should be prepared to encourage book lovers to engage with libraries.
He also appealed to the staff of the Jayaprakash Narayan Public Library to reach out to all schools in the ten Assembly constituencies surrounding New Delhi, connect young people with the library, and motivate them to visit. He said that once young people develop the habit of reading, they will continue to pursue it on their own.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that a library gives one the courage to dive into the vast ocean of knowledge and inspires people to bring back the pearls and gems hidden in its depths. He said that these pearls and gems of wisdom, discovered through the pursuit of knowledge, refine an individual's personality, propel the nation forward, and help make the country prosperous, self-reliant, cultured, educated, and secure.
He further said that unless the youth of the country read the works of litterateur Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar', they cannot truly understand India, and that libraries serve as a gateway to learning about many such great personalities. Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that the Jayaprakash Narayan Public Library houses a collection of over 32,000 books.
The library features dedicated facilities for researchers, a modern multi-purpose auditorium, a contemporary reading area, a children's zone, a research centre, and an e-library providing access to one crore online books. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the library.
Several monitors have also been installed, enabling visitors to take notes, download material, and further develop their ideas while studying. He said that the library is equipped with a state-of-the-art RFID-based book management system. Through the OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue), it will also be connected to the National Digital Library of India.
Shri Amit Shah encouraged young people to choose subjects that interest them and study the works of eminent personalities who dedicated their lives to those fields. He noted that the library offers access to one crore e-books, making it a tremendous opportunity for Delhi's youth to avail themselves of one crore e-books and over 32,000 physical books free of cost.
Shri Amit Shah said that Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) was a visionary thinker and revolutionary who embraced diverse ideologies throughout his life and excelled in every sphere. He was one of the leading figures of the Quit India Movement. After Independence, he declined to join the government.
He later embraced socialism, founded the Socialist Congress, and worked to spread Vinoba Bhave's Bhoodan Movement and the philosophy of Sarvodaya to villages across the country. He also persuaded more than 200 dacoits in the Chambal region to surrender.
Shri Shah said that during the Emergency, JP firmly opposed the then Prime Minister, led the student movements in Bihar and Gujarat, and gave the call for Sampoorna Kranti. He noted that during the Emergency, JP, Atal Ji, Advani Ji, and thousands of other leaders were imprisoned.
It was during this period, he said, that the slogan coined by Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar'—"Andhere Mein Ek Prakash, Jayaprakash"—echoed across the nation. In the 1977 general elections, the then Prime Minister was defeated from Rae Bareli, and for the first time, a non-Congress government came to power.
Home Minister appealed to all adolescents and youth in Delhi to make full use of the Jayaprakash Narayan Library, which has been established as a means to satisfy the thirst for knowledge. He urged young people to enrich their lives through the library and contribute to making India self-reliant by 2047.