Manisha Chaudhry | A book in little hands


In 2008, Manisha Chaudhry was in Samastipur, a sleepy town in Bihar, for a government-organized book fair. Schoolteachers from all over the state had come to buy books recommended by the state government. Thirty titles by Pratham Books, the non-profit organization that Chaudhry heads as editor, were on that list. Every day during the three-day fair, a little girl would be standing near the Pratham counter, staring at the books. The girl, her hair a golden brown, looked malnourished. If someone tried speaking to her, she would sprint away.

On the third day, Chaudhry managed to speak to her and ask if she wanted books, and if she went to school. The girl replied that she used to—her parents had stopped sending her. Then she picked up a story card lying on the counter and read it. “The victory that I saw on that little girl’s face at the end of it, and the way she smiled, I gave her the entire set of books. I was happy doing what I was doing,” says Chaudhry............Read more

 

Source web page: livemint


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