CM Yogi inaugurates Gomti book festival, urges children to embrace reading over screens

CM Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Gomti Book Festival, encouraging students to embrace reading over excessive screen time. He emphasized India’s knowledge heritage and proposed similar book fairs statewide to foster reading habits, highlighting books’ role in broadening perspectives among youth.

Team Asianet Newsable

First Published Nov 9, 2024, 2:27 PM IST | Last Updated Nov 9, 2024, 2:27 PM IST

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Gomti Book Festival at Gomti Riverfront Park, encouraging students to go beyond textbooks and explore creative and informative books. The festival, organized by the National Book Trust and the Lucknow Development Authority, will run until November 17.

Addressing the youth, CM Yogi emphasized the importance of reading in the digital age, urging children to buy at least one book to nurture a lifelong reading habit. He expressed concern over excessive screen time, saying, "Youth are spending nearly six hours on digital devices. Redirecting this time toward meaningful pursuits can greatly benefit society."

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The Chief Minister highlighted India’s rich heritage of knowledge, referencing the Shruti tradition and sacred sites like Naimisharanya, where sages once documented valuable insights. He encouraged pride in India's cultural legacy, mentioning poets like Maharishi Valmiki and Tulsidas, whose works—like the *Ramcharitmanas* and the *Bhagavad Gita*—continue to inspire the nation.

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Praising the National Book Trust’s initiative, CM Yogi proposed that similar book fairs be organized in all 18 divisions of Uttar Pradesh to enhance reading interest among people across the state. He stressed, "Books broaden perspectives and deepen societal awareness, essential for the younger generation."

The Chief Minister visited the festival stalls, interacted with organizers, and extended his best wishes for the event. The inauguration was attended by several dignitaries, including National Book Trust Chairman Professor Milind Sudhakar Marathe and Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Roshan Jacob.

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