Rajabhatkhawa (Alipurduar): Deep inside the Buxa forest, a village of Adivasi communities speaking seven different languages has turned itself into a village of books, driven by its Gen Z residents.Panijhora, a settlement of 70 families and 320 people, has come to be known as the “Village of Books”. The enthusiasm of its educated young residents has brought new life to the village’s government primary school, which 40 children now attend regularly. The village has also become a favourite with some tourists.In homes across Panijhora, small bookshelves have been set up, each holding 25 to 30 books on a particular subject. Families read them, but the books are open to anyone. Readers borrow a book, return it after reading and take another. So far, 25 families have set up these household libraries, with a box of books on the veranda of each participating home.Every house bears the name of a book. Some are named Prothom Alo, others Sanchayita or Meghmallar.Home libraries set up by the villagers. Photo: Joydeep Sarkar.But the village is now worried. Residents have heard on television about bookstalls being vandalised and books being destroyed in different parts of West Bengal.“We have come to understand just how powerful books are. Every letter is created through immense effort. In my opinion, attacking books is a very serious crime,” said Ashish Minj, sitting in his small shop at the entrance to the village.Seven cultures, one villageOraon, Munda, Kharia, Rabha, Garo, Nepali, Mech, Dukpa, Bengali and Bihari communities live in Panijhora. Their languages, customs and cultures differ, but they have come together to rebuild the village in response to the initiative of its younger generation.The effort began on August 31, 2024.Partha Saha, a teacher at the nearby Damanpur High School, said the first step was to make sure the village’s poor families got what they were entitled to. “Initially, we approached the administration to ensure that these poor families received the benefits of various government welfare schemes. At the same time, we made school attendance compulsory for every child in the village,” he told The Wire.Home libraries set up by the villagers. Photo: Joydeep Sarkar.“It is a long process. What gives us hope is that the village’s younger generation of students has now taken charge. Inspired by Panijhora’s transformation, ten neighbouring villages have also begun similar initiatives, with books at the centre of their efforts.”Life in the forest remains hard. Ranjit Barman, a teacher at Panijhora Government Primary School, said poverty had long kept children out of the classroom.“Forest villages face many problems. Earlier, poor families here survived by collecting wood from the forest. With little or no income, it was difficult to bring their children to school,” he told The Wire.“The problems have not disappeared. Even when families are allotted land, elephants eat their entire paddy crop. Now, entering the forest is also prohibited. Earning a livelihood has become extremely difficult for these families. Yet they can see that the efforts of the younger generation are changing their lives.”New crops, including mushrooms, black pepper and oranges, have been introduced, and an NGO is helping villagers move to alternative forms of cultivation using organic fertilisers. Residents say these efforts have brought some hope.Photo: Joydeep Sarkar.No dropoutsAbhishek Bandyopadhyay, a teacher at a nearby school, said the results were showing in classrooms. “Over the past few years, the village has set records in the number of students passing the seconday and higher secondary examinations. There are no school dropouts in the village anymore,” he said.“Panijhora’s own government primary school is functioning, while the Higher Secondary school at Damanpur, six kilometres away, has found new life with the growing number of students.”The village’s young people have also formed a volunteer team. Its members help elderly residents learn to sign their names and come together to support families in difficulty.One of the volunteers, Samir Toppo, is a college student. “We have brought seven different cultures in our village together. Everyone has now learnt Bengali. Earlier, people mostly spoke the languages of their respective communities,” he told The Wire.“About 95% of the villagers are Christians. Yet their religious, ethnic and cultural practices are quite different. We have overcome these barriers.”“We have formed a girls’ folk song and dance troupe and established a football academy. Nobody in our village consumes intoxicants. We have also made our own rules. Nobody uses plastic, and nobody throws garbage around.”‘We need many more books’Each household library has its own focus. Pramila Toppo’s house has books in Bengali, Hindi and English. Krita Kerketta’s house has storybooks, while Dipika Oraon’s collection is devoted to Bengali fiction. A central library has also been set up beside the school.A few people who heard about the initiative have donated bookshelves and old books. But the village needs more.“We have turned individual homes into libraries devoted to different subjects,” Toppo said. “While younger children look for comic books, we need study materials for competitive examinations and government jobs. We have received some books, but we need more updated editions.”“We have also managed to organise spoken English and general knowledge classes from time to time. Many teachers come here to help us. Reading books has inspired us to understand the joy of living together as a community. Now we need many more books!”The idea is spreading. Ten villages, including Kalkut, Garambasti, Majherdabri and Tamarchi, have begun looking for books to start similar initiatives.At a time when bookstalls are being vandalised and portraits of prominent thinkers and historical figures are being damaged in different parts of West Bengal, the residents of Panijhora are guarding what they consider their most valuable possession, their books.Translated from Bangla by Aparna Bhattacharya.