Chennai, April 19 (BPNS)
A Library cum reading room established at the premises of a police station in Theni district of Tamil Nadu has become a major hit among the children and youth of the area.
The library which is the brainchild of the station house officer of Chinnmanur police station, P. Sekar has a collection of more than 700 books and all the vernacular and English newspapers as well as magazines and periodicals.
Sekar while speaking to BPNS said, “ There are around 15 schools in the locality with 8 higher secondary schools and we felt that a library with books including competitive examination books would help the children prepare for the competitive exams. We also found that the books will be a major attraction to youths and children of the area and we can give a different perspective of the police station to the general public.”
The Chinnamur police station and its inspector P. Sekar are popular among the youths and children and people have started frequenting the police station just to make use of the collection of books, periodicals, and newspapers that are present in the reading room.
Sunil Manikantan, a Plus two student of a Higher secondary school near Chinnamanur police station while speaking to BPNS said, “ We were lacking good books in our school as well as we did not have access to the newspapers, especially English newspapers. Inspector Sekar and the police station have given us a new opening and I have started preparing for the Public service commission brushing up on my general knowledge as well as my numerical abilities as well as English language.”
The 18-year-old said that the presence of a good collection of books has changed his outlook on the world and thanked the station house officer, P. Sekar for such an initiative in the village.
Several youths who have completed their graduation and post-graduation are also turning into the library room of the police station to get information and to brush up knowledge for competitive examinations.
Sundarraj,24 while speaking to BPNS said, “ I have completed my Post graduation in political science and am preparing for competitive examinations after doing farming to support my family. I cannot afford a coaching institute and the police station library hall has provided all the material required for preparing myself for competitive examinations. Have written two examinations already and am awaiting the results. The police station library has given me the confidence to take up the competitive examination without any fear.”
The library room at the police station can presently accommodate 20 persons at a time and the library is open to the public from 8 am to 9 pm.
Sekar said that once he found a spare room in the police station, he informed the Superintendent of Police, Dongare Pravin Umesh who gave the green signal.
The vibrant Station house officer said that he dreams of at least one youth from the locality who is using the library to crack a competitive examination.
He also said that the police station library does not allow people to take books to their homes and after the arrival of more books, this may be considered. At present Special Sub Inspector Kumaran is in charge of the library.
Sekar said that he would allow the suspects to read the books and expects that this may change their mindset.
