‘Corruption can only be cured by promoting literary activities’

Eminent poet, scholar and educationist Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui has said that corruption is a like a mental illness, which can only be cured by character-building through the promotion of literature and literary activities, especially among children who need books instead of electronic gadgets.

“Unfortunately, children’s literature in Urdu and youngsters’ interest in books is shrinking due to the growing use of electronic gadgets like mobile phones and tablets, which are negatively affecting their cognitive abilities,” he said on Saturday while speaking at the 20th thematic calendar launch on the topic of ‘Role of Children’s Literature in National Rebuilding’.

Designed and produced by the Jahan-e-Masiha Adbi Forum in collaboration with a pharmaceutical firm, the calendar was unveiled at a ceremony attended by writers, poets, doctors and pharmacists from different public and private organisations at a hotel.

Over 35,000 calendars would be distributed among public and private hospitals, educational institutes, doctors and researchers so that children and parents visiting them could learn the importance of books and literature in the character-building of kids, said the organisers.

“In this era of digitalisation, very little literature for children is being produced, which is extremely deplorable,” said Dr Siddiqui. “Unfortunately, not every writer is endowed with the ability to write for children and those who are writing for children are not creating cognitive abilities among children.”