Kech, with regard to population, is the second-largest district in Balochistan after the provincial capital city, Quetta. It really hurts to acknowledge that the public library of Kech, situated in Turbat city, has been shut down since 2020.
According to the 2017 census, Kech is the most literate district of Balochistan, yet astonishingly, it has only one public library in the entire district. Unfortunately, this library, which is for both males and females, became non-functional three years ago.
The public library of the district has remained closed due to the pandemic and lockdown, yet it has been three years and it is still closed. The literate residents of Kech have censured the prolonged closure of the only public library in various ways. They have also campaigned on social media and written to newspapers to get their library opened.
Despite this, no relevant department has taken it seriously, why is that?
After blowing the whistle on the district administration, the district administration has let the enthusiastic inhabitants of Kech know that the library has been shut down due to some structural problems.
They have assured that constructional works will soon be finished and the library will open. It has been a long time since the lockdown ended and the construction was completed.”
If likewise, it is very difficult to keep up with the changing world. Anyway, according to the population of Kech, by now there should be four or three public libraries as the inhabitants of the area are devoted to education and literature, but the opposite is true.
Frankly, a library is not just a building filled with books and chairs; it is the foundation of well-educated and knowledgeable nations.
So, now it is up to our concerned authorities whether they want success in the field of education or they just want to remain the same for centuries.
Albert Einstein, an eminent scientist, accurately declared, “The only thing you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.”
The very talented students of Kech are in deep water preparing for PCS, CSS, BPSC, or entry tests of medical and engineering colleges due to the lack of a public library in their own area. They mostly go to Quetta for tests and job preparation.
If the Turbat public library were opened, they wouldn’t have to go to Quetta to rent hostels and take unaffordable expenses on their poor families during this difficult period of inflation.
Everyone knows that for the most complicated tests, self-study is instrumental and it again needs a library, so the students of Kech have been suffering from this bone of contention since 2020.
It is highly requested of the representatives and administrative authorities of Kech to take immediate steps to reinstate the only public library of Kech as soon as possible.
By Hatir Aslam, Turbat