In a warm tribute to social reformer and writer Anna Bhau Sathe, the Mahapurush Abhivadan Kruti Samiti (MAKS) organized a special book reading drive on August 1 near Sarasbaug in Pune. This unique initiative saw enthusiastic participation from people of all walks of life, including personnel from the Pune City Police who were deployed at the Anna Bhau Sathe statue near Sarasbaug. The event aimed to attract people of all ages, especially the youth, to read books written by renowned authors and social reformers.
MAKS hosted special reading sessions and book exhibitions featuring Anna Bhau Sathe's celebrated works like "Mochangad" and "Jhulwa." The event received an enthusiastic response from the attendees, who applauded the organizers' efforts to promote literature and the practice of reading among the youth.
Professor Narhari Patil, principal of Lokseva College of Pharmacy and a participant at the book exhibition, stated, “To celebrate Anna Bahu Sathe’s Jayanti by reading and distributing books is a true tribute. The organizers' efforts to promote literature are commendable. We should all encourage such events to truly stand by the teachings of the great social reformers that our motherland has produced.”
Interestingly, the policemen on bandobast duty at the Anna Bahu Sathe statue near Sarasbaug were seen enjoying the literature on display, reminiscing about their days preparing for police entrance exams. A Pune City police official who visited the book exhibition said, “We seldom get time to grab a book and read it due to our hectic work life. The last time I read a book was while I was a student and preparing for the police entrance exams. Today I grabbed a book from the exhibition and will make sure I complete it.”
Swapnil Nahar, a member of the organizing committee, told LokmatTimes.com, “This initiative aims to attract people from all walks of life, especially the youth, to take up reading. Instead of playing loud music on the road and creating disturbance, the youth should read a few pages about our social reformers like Anna Bhau Sathe, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to understand what these great personalities have done to shape our society. Reading is the ultimate tribute to Anna Bahu Sathe, as he was an author and has written many books that have shown the path to society.”
Rajendra Paigude, another member of the organizing committee, stated, “This is not a one-time event; we have been doing this for the past three years and will continue in the future. The response we received this year is overwhelming. The success of this year's event reminds us of the power of books in bringing communities together.”