Akshay Azad
Jammu, Feb 9: Defying modern social order of material and physical gains and setting a benchmark of selfless service, Chaman Lal (48) an employee in private school, has been doing a noble social work, running a public library at Bhour camp, from his meager pocket money, for the last 26 years.
Idea of beginning a mobile-library, caught Chaman Lal's fancy in 1982, when he secured 2nd position at Province level, in 8th class examination, but remained without books for around three months in class 9th.
"In 1982, I had stood first in my school and secured second position in entire Jammu province. I was assured of free books and uniform by school administration but for three months, I had to run from pillar to post for books", recounts Chaman Lal, a 1947 refugee from tehsil Palandari of erstwhile district Poonch, adding that the experience of three months, without books, made him realize the importance of books for needy students, encouraging him to make efforts to avail books to needy students.
Recollecting other past experiences, he said, when he had joined 10th class, when a severe attack of typhoid left him bedridden for three months. "Even, I was brilliant in my studies but it took around 6 months to recover, forcing me to appear in matriculation exams privately, I but failed to qualify", he said, adding that he had started working as Hindu cleric. During 'Sharad', I used to make decent money, with which would purchase books and give them to needy students.
"While training as a Hindu cleric under Pandit Krishan Lal, I started collection of religious, academic, competitive test books and provided them to local students", he narrates, adding that the mobile library from his house was running from late nineties, which had taken a shape of a regular library in 2005, when Chaman Lal took a shop on rent for "Aadarsh Bhartiya Samaj Library", which has now collection of more than 4,000 books, all of which were purchased by Chaman Lal, from his meager savings.
Apart from running a library, Chaman Lal under the banner of Aadarsh Bhartiya Samaj, has been organizing plantation drives, twice a year. "We had also started Cutting and Tailoring Training Center and Beautification and Herbal Treatment Training, wherein they imparted training to a group of 20 local girls", he said. Chaman Lal, who works as laboratory attendant in a private school, further said that he had not maintained any record of the books available in the library, which is open to all. "Local students take books and return after reading.
The need of maintaining a record didn't arise as if someone keeps any book, it benefits that person. The books are for reading and it's good that same should be in the hands of readers, instead of in the library", he said.
With increasing trend of usage of internet among youth, Chaman Lal said that their interest has been declining towards books, but he would continue with the social work till his last breath. |
