A girl from HPS receives applause from the Prime Minister:
Akarshana Satish, an 11-year-old resident of the city and an enthusiastic book lover, received a commendation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ program on Sunday. She was praised for her remarkable achievement of collecting 5,800 books and establishing seven libraries to promote the habit of reading. Expressing her joy, Akarshana, a student at Hyderabad Public School in Begumpet, stated, “I am thrilled by the Prime Minister’s recognition.
His words will forever inspire me and many others like me to contribute our best to our nation.” The journey began for Akarshana in 2021 when she and her father, Satish Kumar J., visited the MNJ Cancer Children’s Hospital to provide food and support to young patients.
During this visit, they encountered children who longed for coloring books to pass the time and find comfort during their hospital stays. This simple request ignited a spark in Akarshana, leading her to embark on a mission to gather books for those in need. Her dedicated efforts garnered donations from neighbors, nearby apartment residents, classmates, and relatives, resulting in an impressive collection of over 5,800 used books.
Akarshana’s enthusiasm was contagious, motivating her community to wholeheartedly support her cause. Soon, she established her first library at the MNJ Cancer Children’s Hospital, providing much-needed solace and distraction to young patients. Subsequently, she set up similar libraries at various locations, including the Sanathnagar police station, the Gayathrinagar association in Borabanda, the Juvenile and Observation Home for Girls, and street libraries in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, with the assistance of the local police.
She also established a library for the Chennai Boys’ Club at the Nolambur police station in Tamil Nadu. On August 5, 2023, she inaugurated her seventh library, which contained 610 books, and it was formally opened by Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav.
Apart from receiving praise from the Prime Minister, Akarshana has received letters and words of appreciation from Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao, Venkaiah Naidu, DGP Anjani Kumar, and Tamil Nadu DGP Dr. Sylendra Babu.
Akarshana’s vision extends beyond merely providing books; Girl believes that these libraries will inspire people, particularly children, to read more frequently. the girl expressed confidence that increased reading would expand individuals’ knowledge and have a lasting positive impact on both individuals and the community as a whole.
Girl has plans to establish three more libraries in the next two months. When she’s not immersed in books, she enjoys learning to code and cycling. Her future aspirations include becoming a space scientist.
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