P.N. Panicker: Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker
Father of Library Movement
(Birth : 01 March 1909 📖 Death: 19 June 1995)
INTRODUTION
Puthuvayil
Narayana Panicker is known as the Father of the Library Movement in Kerala. The activities of the Kerala Grandhasala Sanghom
which was initiated by P. N. Panicker ignited a popular cultural movement in
Kerala at the end of which the state acquired total literacy in the 1990s.
EARLY LIFE
Panicker was
born on 1 March 1909, as the son of Govinda Pillai and Janaky Amma at Neelamperoor in Alappuzha District.[1] A teacher by profession, he started
Sanadanadharmam Library in his birthplace in 1926. Though his formal education
had not reached high levels, he could do to society much more than many who
were highly educated in his times.
CONTRIBUTIONS
Panicker took
leadership in forming Thiruvithaamkoor Granthasala Sangham (Travancore Library Association) in 1945 with 47 rural
libraries. The slogan of the Sangham was “Read and Grow”. Later, with the
formation of Kerala State in 1956, it became Kerala Granthasala Sangham (KGS).
He traveled across the villages of Kerala propagating the message of reading
and inviting active involvement of people. He succeeded in bringing about 6000
libraries into this network. Grandhasala Sangham won the prestigious ‘Krupsakaya
Award’ from UNESCO in 1975. He was the General Secretary of
Sangham for 32 years, until 1977, when the Sanghom was taken over by the Kerala
State Government. Now it is called the Kerala State Library Council, with an
in-built democratic structure and funding from the State Government.
TURNING POINT
In the new face
of Kerala Grandhasala Sangham as Kerala State Library Council, the founder of
the organisation, P.N. Panicker was out owing to political interference. But
Panicker needed to work further for the society, so, in 1977 he founded the
Kerala Association for Non-formal Education and Development (KANFED). KANFED
was highly instrumental in starting the Kerala State Literacy Mission which
leads Kerala for its total literacy movement and Kerala became the first State
which won total literacy.
He has also
taken keen interest in promoting Agricultural Books Corner, Friendship Village
Movement (Sauhrudagramam), Reading Programmes for Families, Grants for Books
and building libraries and Best Reader’s Award P.N. Panickerfoundation.
DEATH
He died on 19
June 1995, at the age of 86.
READING DAY
At last the
Government of Kerala stepped in at accept the contributions of P.N. Panicker
and ordered to observe 19 June annually as Vayanadinam (Day of Reading) with a
week-long series of activities at schools and public institutions to honour the
contributions of P.N. Panicker to the cause of literacy, education and library
movement.
HONORS
The Department
of Posts honoured Panicker by issuing a commemorative postage stamp on 21 June
2004.
His birth
centenary is celebrated under the auspices of P. N. Panicker Foundation in 2010
📕📘📖📖📖📖📖📖📕📘
P. N.
Panicker,
(Death
Anniversary: 19 June)
Reading
Day Pledge
Today I stand
and pledge with full faith of my ability to grow through reading. I pledge to
promote the development of my country through judicious reading of knowledge
resources in print/ digital medium. I shall respect myself and others too. I
shall shine the light of knowledge gained, to solve the problems I face as well
the challenges affecting my country.
I realize that today we
face multiple challenges, be it poverty, unemployment, pandemic, natural
calamities, corruption, substance abuse, climate change, etc. I shall make
reading a habit and be a solution to these challenges. I shall ensure best
compliance to the legal framework of my country and shall strive for a secure
and secular atmosphere. I shall strive to raise high, the value of knowledge,
and the pride of my country with my thoughts, words and deeds.
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