Govind Tekale
World Book and Copyright Day, or World Book Day, is celebrated annually on April 23 to honor books and authors, and to promote the joy of reading. The UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) designated the day in 1995. The date is symbolic because it is the anniversary of the deaths of several prominent authors. It includes William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.
“Indigenous Languages” is the theme of this year’s World Book Day (WBD). Books are our friends, philosophers, and guides. We get knowledge, entertainment, and inspiration from books. Vedas are generally considered the oldest books. They are in Sanskrit, a classical language. In ancient times, books were written on parchment paper made from the bark or leaves of a tree called Bhoorjapatra or Betula utilis. This was before the invention of paper as we know it today.
The purpose of celebrating World Book Day is to encourage reading. One can enjoy reading a book anywhere. The humorous books of P.G. Wodehouse and P.L. Deshpande have been a source of immense joy for many generations. This year, UNESCO has rightly chosen indigenous languages as the theme of WBD. There are hundreds of tribes all over the world who speak many languages. To keep the language alive, it should be spoken. So, the indigenous language needs to be spoken. It may not have its own script.
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It can be written in the available script. For example, Ahirani, the main language of Khandesh, consisting of Dhule, Nandurbar, and Jalgaon districts of Maharashtra, does not have its script. Therefore, it is written in the Devanagari script. The late Poetess Bahinabai Choudhari authored many poems in Ahirani. That is why North Maharashtra University is named after her.
Books are a permanent source of enlightenment. Look at the immortal Bhagavad Gita. Crores of people read it daily across the world. The Gita is available in several languages. ISKCON made it more popular.
I am proud to state here that my son Yadunath or Yadu writes thrillers in English. He is one of the best-selling authors, according to USA Today. He writes under the pen name: T.Y. Patterson.
From my childhood, I liked reading books. Nowadays, books are in digital forms. There are audiobooks. You can enjoy listening to a book while driving a car. Whatever the medium, they make our life lively. There is a Sanskrit saying about a book: The book tells us to protect it from oil, water, and loose binding, it asks us never to give it to a foolish person.
You can present a book to your friend or relative to celebrate their birthday. Manav Kaul, an actor and a book-lover, says, “I belong to the world of books, and I’m extremely comfortable around them. This is my private world. I love to travel and write. When I die, I’ll be a story. I don’t want a novel; I want my life to be a collection of short stories.”
So on this Day, enjoy reading a book of your choice wherever you are. Happy World Book Day!
