To provide access to free knowledge through books and study spaces, a group of likeminded educated young-persons with the support of local people formally established a public library with few hundred books and magazines on various topics in Khawaja Seri, a mountainous village in scenic Neelum Valley of Azad Jammu Kashmir.
The Habba Khatoon Public Library was inaugurated by educationists and literary figures in the presence of young people of Khawaja Seri – a village with ninety-eight percent literacy rate, and belongs to ethnic Koshur-speaking community. Habba Khatoon – born as Zoon Begum and known by her honorary title ‘The Nightingale of Kashmir’ – was a sixteenth-century poetess and considered as symbol of Kashmiri literature and culture.
The Habba Khatoon Library would address educational needs besides empowering youngsters and teenagers with access to learning, Aslam Chanar Khawaja, the co-founder and one of the brains behind this initiative, shared details with Risala Today in Muzaffarabad City. “We believe that young individuals can act as catalysts for a positive change by addressing educational gaps, empowering communities with necessary knowledge, and keeping the legacy of their elders alive,” he said.
On a rented space, the library will work throughout the week from day time (2pm) to evening (6pm). On weekends, the readers will have access to the library from morning (10am) to evening (6pm). Compared to urban or plain areas, public life closes earlier in the evening in mountainous areas. “We are fortunate enough that Khawaja Seri is among few villages of Neelum Valley where all inhabitants are well-educated, and supportive to our endeavor,” he said.
“We will try our best to arrange study spaces regularly besides providing the best collection of books on various topics,” he said, adding the youngsters need more good books for better knowledge. “We are planning to turn this library into a research center,” he said. Tauseeq Banday, Adil Amin, Nazish Maqbool, Mashhood Khawaja, Hamza Saeed, Atif Rafique, Manan Ershad, Zeeshan Wani, and Nida Shams are other young minds who are working tirelessly on the library project.
Nida Shams says Habba Khatoon Library will act as a vital resource for learning and personal growth of individuals
Executive Director of Education Dr Khawaja Abdul Rehman, who is the Director Public Instruction (DPI) for Higher Education Colleges, assured the library management during opening day ceremony that the government and its institutions were always trying to support young people in their endeavors for education. “I am happy to say this that our region has the most literate population,” he said, and appreciated the young individuals for establishing Habba Khatoon Library in scenic Khawaja Seri.
Nida Shams, in-charge of the library, told Risala Today that the Habba Khatoon Library would act as a vital resource for learning, and social development besides personal growth of individuals. At the newly-established facility, she said that they were offering a safe space where young people can explore their interests, foster literacy, and find mentors. “We provide a welcoming environment where readers can connect with others, explore their identities, and read books without interruption.”
“I hope this library in my village will serve as essential center for learning, information, and cultural enrichment, providing access to books, and various other materials,” said Moosa Khawaja, a college student. “For me, this library is a treasure house of knowledge,” he said, adding it will help youngsters to develop a reading habit. There are several other college and university students who are visiting Habba Khatoon Library regularly as this facility would be a center of attraction for growing adults.
Shahid Sultan, a university student, called the Habba Khatoon Library a great opportunity for youngsters of the picturesque village, and said the libraries were the preferred place for many students to study. In this digital age, he said the library was a vital space for learning and the only place that welcomes people of differing ages and abilities. He appreciated inauguration of the Habba Khatoon Library as an alternative space, where they can think and learn. “I hope that this library will be a good addition in everyone’s life in a village that is far from main city.”
Known for landscapes, mountains, clean water, and ethnic and linguistic diversity, Neelum Valley is a popular destination for nature lovers. Several languages are spoken natively, including Hindko or Pahari with loanwords; Kashmiri or Koshur; Gojari; Dardi or Shina; a Pashto dialect; and Kundal Shahi – an endangered language of the Kundal Shahi village. Additionally, Urdu and English are used in educational institutions and offices. The management team urged people to donate books and provide support to make this young library a permanent.
