To some aspirants, SPS library provides much-needed succour

Sumayyah Qureshi

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Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 4

Until a few months ago, the Shri Pratap Singh Library would cater to around 200 students and exam aspirants daily, but today the five-floor library is almost deserted.

But those who come to the library say that they want to escape from the psychological pressures caused by the situation in the Valley for some time and study without any disturbance.

The library, which is one of the biggest public libraries in the Valley, remained shut for almost a month since the clampdown after August 5. These days, the reading room at the library sees not more than 10-15 students daily.

Civil services aspirant Omar, a resident of Rajbagh in Srinagar, said: “I did not know the library has opened. I came here to get rid of various interferences and to feel a competitive vibe.”

He said the library allowed him to concentrate on his studies. “I get my books and newspapers along and read here,” Omar said.

A judicial exam aspirant, Beenish, said: “May be, things will work out coming to the library”

Officials at the library, who refused to be named, said the library these days was closed a little earlier. “These days, the library opens at 10.30 am and shuts at 3.30 pm,” said an official at the library.

A junior librarian said: “We have to come to the library for students and aspirants as we have to issue books to them. At times, we have to walk kilometers to reach the library.”

Those who have again started coming to the library say that the facility is of some help to them as they have no access to the Internet.

“We get some books here and it helps,” said Jameel Ahmed, a civil services aspirant from Poonch. He said the library helped him focus on his studies. “I prefer to come to the library rather than study at home,” Ahmed said. Though the aspirants said their studies had been affected due to the Internet gag for the past two months, they said they had no option but to study from whatever material they had.

“The Internet blockade has hit our preparation but the library is useful. I sit in the library for six hours daily,” said Zahoor Ahmed, another exam aspirant.

An official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “These days, the students mostly come to either issue or return books. Most of them do not come to study here.”