When Screens Glow Brighter Than Books: Rethinking Hajin’s Reading Culture

Afnan Afzal

“In the days when candles lit our rooms, books lit our minds. Now screens glow bright, and our thoughts grow dim.”

This reflection captures a quiet anxiety many in Kashmir feel today. It is not merely about technology, but about what we may be losing as our habits change. Few places embody this concern more poignantly than Hajin — a town long celebrated as a cradle of saints, scholars, poets and thinkers, and a living chapter in Kashmir’s literary history.

Hajin has never been an ordinary town. It has been a cultural nerve centre, a place where ideas travelled faster than roads and where words shaped minds long before screens arrived. It is the land that nurtured Wahab Parray Hajini, whose verses gave voice to Firdous-e-Kashmir. It is where the towering scholar and philosopher Professor Mohiuddin Hajini took root, where Asad Parray Hajini emerged, and where Muhammad Ahsan Ahsaan took his first intellectual steps. It is the soil that shaped Molvi Abdul Rashid Sahib, Molvi Mahad Sahib, Hakeem Gulzaar Hajini, Molvi Sideequllah, and Abdul Aziz Hajini — names that form the spine of Hajin’s intellectual and spiritual legacy.

Does a place rich in culture and literature—the garden we belong to, the novel in which we are characters—need any improvement in its present reading culture?

The reading culture of Hajin has undergone significant changes and had limited access, the literacy was limited, the number of literate individuals was relatively small.

Back then, there were radios and televisions, and computers were rare. Social media was entirely absent. In those days, poetry, folk tales, and other literary forms were more deeply valued, whereas today academics—or what we call formal education—and creative forms such as poetry and plays are considered equally important.

The present reading culture offers far more facilities than in the past. We no longer need to carry heavy books, as e-books are easily accessible, and academic competition today is far more intense.

With advancements in printing and education, the current reading culture has increased access to books and other reading material to a wider audience.

Earlier, reading culture relied largely on listening to stories but now a large segment of the population participates in active reading though the distractions have increased. Social media has impacted reading habits very badly while as the youth should be more obsessed to books, not to their cell phones and other bad things like drugs, etc.

Now there is an advantage of e-books as I have already mentioned that, but they have also a disadvantage which is a decline in physical reading.

Should we promote the present reading culture while ignoring its disadvantages? In earlier times, people used to read more; their books used to shine as books were well-kept and polished as they were genuinely interested in reading, but now we are addicted to social media instead of books.

Earlier, students travelled miles to attend college, as there were very few degree colleges in Kashmir. Today, degree colleges are available doorsteps. The current reading culture has a lot of facilities but have disadvantage too, as this has killed our relationship with books. It has taken the youth towards digital things but made them forget to have a pretty good bond with books.

Hajin—known as the land of saints, poets, and scholars—is gradually losing sight of its honour and decorum. We are drifting away from the identity that once defined us and distancing ourselves from our guiding lights such as Wahab Parray Hajini and Professor Mohiuddin Hajini.

If the situation remains unchanged, the future of the youth is predictable. The land of saints, poets, and scholars is steadily losing its essence. Social media, no doubt, has its advantages—it offers access to affordable online education and information. However, in embracing it, we seem to have forgotten the values and lessons left behind by Wahab Parray Hajini and Professor Mohiuddin Hajini. Should we truly abandon that legacy and move on?

Wahab Parray Hajini also known as Firdous-e-kashmir, the bright beacon of Hajin, identity of this land of saints, poets and scholars. They have not taught us to stay away from books.

The must have hoped that our youth or upcoming generations will be well-read and shape the future of this locality based on knowledge, rationalism and understanding. We, simply, don’t care for their legacy though.

It is unfortunate that Wahab cultural Society, Civil Society Hajin, Youth Forum Bandipora and Halq-e- Adab have no younger members from Gen-Z.

Because we don’t put efforts, we should write down our thoughts and our Wahab cultural Society, Civil society Hajin, Youth Forum Bandipora and Halq-e-Adab should hunt for young writers to make them the part of their noble missions, besides encouraging and providing them necessary help and hope.

Professor Mohiuddin Hajini: The great scholar, the best towering philosopher an outspoken, fearless, brave and selfless man who sacrificed his whole life in serving, nourishing and enriching Kashmiri language and culture. He wrote many books such as; “Grees Sund Ghar” (peasant house), “Kashmir Reader”, “Wahab Parray”, “Kashir Shayri”, “Gaamo manz pheeri pheeri” (Travelling Through Villages) And “Maqalaat”.

Instead, we read his books, we read about him, we are being busy on social media in making reels and such other things. Instead, we pay tribute to this man who sacrificed a lot to preserve the religious, political and culture identity of Kashmir, but we forgot everything.

Few weeks ago, I visited the library and there I saw no facility and an inch of dust on books. Does this suit us? And 50% people of Hajin don’t even know that we do have a library in our locality. We all should improve our desire and habit to read books to spend precious time with them.

In conclusion, I wish to appeal to the people of Hajin to come forward, raise their voices, and collectively demand a modern library. We are not asking for anything extravagant—only a functional, welcoming space equipped with basic facilities such as fans, heating during winters, washrooms, Wi-Fi, reading rooms, and access to new books. Such a space would help us keep pace with the rest of the world.

I do not view social media as an enemy. It plays an important role in today’s reading culture—it helps us gain knowledge, improve communication skills, and access affordable learning opportunities. However, if we devote one hundred percent of our time to social media, are we not slowly losing the essence of our hometown and our intellectual heritage?

There must be a balance. Physical reading still matters. Parents, in particular, have a vital role to play by spending time with their children and guiding them to understand that social media should not replace books entirely. Alongside digital engagement, we must nurture interests rooted in reading, reflection, and learning.

Ultimately, the people of Hajin must pause, reflect, and rediscover what we have lost—and work together to reclaim it.