80 Years, Zero Libraries: Jharkhand Youth Demand Action

GIRIDIH: Students and youth in Jharkhand’s Birni block have launched a public campaign demanding a library, highlighting that Gram Panchayat Kendua remains without a single reading facility 80 years after independence. Led by youth social worker Rajesh Kumar, the residents have submitted a formal appeal to the Governor of Jharkhand to intervene and approve the project.

The lack of a local study space severely impacts hundreds of students across dozens of rural villages—including Gando, Arwatand, Kubri, Chitarna, Baliyari, Seledihkala, and Purnpatari—who are currently preparing for competitive exams like JPSC and JSSC.

Currently, these students are forced to travel long distances to the district headquarters just to find a quiet space to study, incurring heavy financial strain and wasting critical preparation time. To resolve this, the campaign is seeking immediate clearance from the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, the Education Secretary, and the Deputy Commissioner of Giridih to construct a library with a 100-person capacity on available government land near the Panchayat Bhawan.

Positioned along the Koderma-Kowar main road, approximately 7 kilometers from the block headquarters, the proposed facility aims to provide an essential academic hub under the community’s rallying cry: “We want the right to education; a library is our necessity.”