Continued………
“I know that you are a book lover and an intellectual.” She smiled.
“How can you say that?” I frowned.
“Look here sir,” she turned the screen of her desktop monitor towards me. I saw the video footage of the cabin in which I handed over my books to the man in the cabin.
There are closed circuit TV cameras fitted at all important place in the building. This entire building belongs to us.
I simply smiled.
Then without giving me chance to react she cleverly started,
“you know sir! That not many people know that the great freedom movement of Gandhiji, based on the concept of achieving freedom through non- violence, was possible due to his knowledge and practice of Geeta and study of the work of great writers of that era”.
“The computers of today are getting improvement only due to feed back from the predecessors. It is not very long, when the first computer came in the market. You can well appreciate the advancements in IT industry”.
“The works of great authors like Bernard Shaw, Wordsworth, Dickens, Gardiner, Muir, Frost and many more help even today the great politicians and scientists in making improvement in their personal as well as social behavior”.
“Well! That is O.K.” I interrupted. “Even if your point of view is accepted; where and why is the need to call it a brain food restaurant instead of a library or a book shop?” I further argued, “what is the sense in using the term—cuisine and Bar-Be-Cue? Isn’t it insulting to use the word, Chef, rather mockery of the great writers?”
“No sir, not at all. I am coming to that,”
She said.
“During my tutorials in college, I raised this issue of social change in the attitude of our generation. We discussed the issue at great length and inferred that in reality our brain too needs food for thought all the time and every day. This food is in the shape of good literature. You yourself have said that, had you known that it was a book shop or a library, you would not have even visited the shop; as far as I can judge, it is not that you do not like books or magazines, but it is because you have come to the market with some specific schedule,”
“But my query remains unanswered even now, “ I said emphatically.
“Listen to me carefully. I am giving a logical explanation.
“The restaurant is a place where we take food, then why can’t we call literature the ‘Brain Food?’ and why can’t we call a library a Brain Food Restaurant? Persons who cook are called chefs. Then why the persons creating literature can’t be called brain food chefs? Why the place where people consume brain food, can’t be called a brain food restaurant?”
“A Bar-Be- Cue is a place where gilled, flamed food is served. When a writer pens down his or her ideas, there is a purpose in that. The material is not served raw. Unless the ideas are thoroughly grilled and cooked, in the flame of the knowledge and experience of the writer, the writer does not serve the product”.
“Chef is a highly respectable and reputable person of the society. He knows the nutritional value of the ingredients. He knows the taste of the people. He is highly qualified an experienced person. People love and respect their chefs. I’ll request you to kindly come out of this myopic vision. It is only the state of mind. When so many terminologies are being changed and accepted by the society, I see no harm in accepting this terminology in relation to brain food”.
“It occurs to me that emphasis should be laid more on the term food. If we accept literature as food, then we consume it like other foods. Next there comes the need for making the food available to the consumers.”
She stressed.
“Don’t you feel that, there is a sincere and dire need for generation of awareness amongst the people, that literature is actually a brain food? Just as you need food for getting energy for your daily activities, you require food for brain too, for your mental and social energy”.
“There are preachers and educators, who do the brain storming for making people, learn good social behavior. I have met young and old people who need good literature. Some Clever and smart people exploit simple and less educated people. If people are literate, much of the crime and exploitation will stop”.
She was serious while connoting this.
“Once the people realize that literature is a brain food and not merely a junk of waste papers, they will definitely crave for it”.
“I am on a mission and I alone cannot do it. I seek the co operation of all,” she answered.
“But you know usage of paper is not echo friendly. So many trees are being cut these days to make paper. This is causing environmental imbalance,” I said sharply.
“You are very right, sir. We are living in the age of electronic media. We are making use of television, internet, and CDs. DVDs. etc. after all with changing requirements we can choose the medium of expression of our thoughts”.
“But I want to stress that unless we accept literature as brain food, the humanity is not going to progress at required pace,” There was a sparkle in her eyes and confidence in her statements. There was a natural glow on her face.
“Now sir, please let me know that if I am using the term brain food, where am I wrong? It is not possible that in such a short time I can make myself very clear to you. But I request you to kindly, in your spare time, ponder a while over my concept”.
“You are an intellectual yourself, so I don’t want to take much of your time. Still if you feel that I am guilty and deserve punishment then I’ll accept that. But if you feel that I am doing something beneficial for the society, and then please bless me,”
With this she stopped her statement.
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