Scholars, writers and educationists have stressed that despite the dominance of digital media, books continue to hold unmatched value as a source of knowledge, wisdom and intellectual vitality.

Speaking at a lecture titled “Relevance and Importance of Books in the Modern Age” held at the Institute of Sindhology, University of Sindh Jamshoro on Tuesday, they called for greater research, translation of unique foreign books and publication efforts to preserve languages—particularly Sindhi—and to cultivate a stronger culture of reading.

In his presidential address, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sindh Professor Dr. Khalil ur Rehman Khoumbati said that books published by the university’s various chairs had long remained out of the reach of ordinary people.

“That is why we launched a week-long book fair at Sindhology, offering discounts of up to 60 percent, ensuring that rare books reach the hands of students and young readers,” he remarked.

He revealed that during the earlier fair held in February 2025, books worth Rs. 1.8 million were sold within three days.

“I was not interested in the amount but in the number of books that actually reached our youth,” he said and added that this time over 100,000 books had been sold.

He further announced that the Sindh Culture Department had allocated Rs. 2 million to the Dr. N.A. Baloch Chair for reprinting rare books.

“The secret of national progress lies in knowledge and we must prioritize publishing research-based books particularly in linguistics to safeguard our language and culture,” he said.

Prominent writer, translator and intellectual Javed Rajpar in his keynote lecture emphasized the need to cultivate libraries in every home.

“Instead of filling showcases with utensils, let us fill them with books. It is wrong to assume we have abandoned books—we were distanced from them. But in the digital age, where hiding knowledge is impossible, access to books has become easier than ever,” he noted.

Citing Amazon’s sale of $487 million worth of online books in a single year, he argued that even in a digitized world, reading habits are thriving.

Rajpar questioned those demanding education in Sindhi about the unavailability of textbooks in science, technology and medicine. “Knowledge is important, but wisdom is essential—it shapes thinking and critical reflection,” he added.

He lamented that writers in Sindh are undervalued, saying, “If a writer is struggling for survival, how can he write with peace of mind?”

Registrar Prof. Dr. Mushtaque Ali Jariko praised Rajpar’s thought-provoking lecture and remarked that books were found everywhere in the world—from railway stations to airports—and young people in Sindh too must develop the habit of reading.

Director Institute of Sindhology Dr. Fayaz Latif said the book fair was extended from one week to ten days due to overwhelming public demand, despite heavy rains and bad weather.

He shared 70,000 books from Sindhology, 30,000 from Dr. N.A. Baloch Chair and 3,000 from the Mirza Qaleech Baig Chair were sold.

“Our priority was not just to sell books and earn money but to make them accessible at affordable prices with discounts of 50–60 percent,” he said.

Earlier, the event began with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Dr. Muhammad Inas Rajpar followed by Raja Altaf’s soulful rendition of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai’s famous wayee, which set the tone for the evening. Certificates were also distributed among Sindhology staff for their efforts in making the book fair a success.

The program was attended by Director Mirza Qaleech Baig Chair Dr. Nawab Ali Kaka, Advisor Planning and Development Sajid Qayoom Memon, Director Dr. N.A. Baloch Chair Dr. Shazia Pitafi, Director Benazir Bhutto Chair Dr. Rehana Mallah, Dr. Rasheeda Bhatti, veteran journalist and poet Niaz Panhwar, Salma Shaikh and several others.