Pune Unites for Record Reading Event
In a remarkable display of unity and love for literature, Pune witnessed an unusual calm between 11 am and 12 noon on Tuesday. The bustling city, filled with traffic and chatter, paused for an hour not in protest, but in celebration of reading. This initiative, titled ‘Silence… Pune is Reading,’ was part of the Pune Book Festival's campaign aimed at setting a world record for the largest number of people reading simultaneously.
The event, organized in collaboration with the National Book Trust (NBT), saw lakhs of participants transform Pune into a vast reading zone. From office desks to bus stops, classrooms to cafés, every corner of the city turned into a silent library. Government employees flipped through novels, students sprawled on college lawns with paperbacks, and professionals like teachers and journalists gathered over their favorite books. Even railway platforms and traffic junctions experienced a rare tranquility as commuters joined the hour-long ‘reading pause.’
To be counted for the official record, participants were encouraged to upload photos of themselves reading by scanning a QR code provided by the campaign. The response was overwhelming, with many sending in their pictures within the first half-hour of the event.
This campaign received support from various local authorities, including the district administration, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), and Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU). According to an organizing committee member, the aim was not just to break a record but to remind everyone that silence can foster connection through reading. This sentiment resonated deeply within the community.
As the Pune Book Festival seeks to position the city as the 'Book Capital of India,' this initiative marks a significant step toward achieving that dream. As the clock struck noon and the final pages turned, one truth echoed quietly throughout Pune: the city had read together, possibly scripting itself into history. This collective reading movement not only celebrated literature but also highlighted the importance of community engagement, reinforcing the power of books to unite people.
