To honour Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker, National Reading Day is celebrated annually on June 19 on his death anniversary. Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker, popularly known as PN Panicker, was a renowned teacher and widely known as the father of the Library Movement in Kerala. This day aims to promote literacy and a love for reading among people of all ages.
He died in the year 1995, and since 1996, Kerala has been observing June 19 as Reading Day. In 2017, Kerala’s Reading Day was declared the National Reading Day by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Every year, a Reading week known as ‘Vayana Varam’ is also followed in Kerala by the Ministry of Education from June 19 to 25.
PN Panicker was instrumental in establishing libraries and promoting reading habits in Kerala. His dedication to spreading literacy has inspired the nation to recognise the importance of reading as a fundamental skill for everyone. He promoted numerous activities through the Kerala Grandhashala Sangham, sparking a widespread cultural movement in Kerala that achieved universal literacy in the state by the 1990s.
To mark this occasion, schools or colleges, libraries, and communities nationwide can organise events such as book fairs, reading marathons, and story-telling sessions for students. School students can be encouraged by their teachers to incorporate more books into their reading timeline. All these activities will celebrate the joy of reading and also aim to instil a lifelong love for books in children and adults alike.
In an age where digital media often dominates our attention, National Reading Day will be an excuse to take a moment off your screens and immerse ourselves in the reading world. It calls on everyone to take a moment to read, share stories, and nurture a culture of literacy.
