Read to imagine: Third ‘Dialogue’ urges youth to explore the world of ideas

‘Dialogue’ session aims to revitalise the significance of reading books.

KARACHI: The third session of the 'Dialogue' series, taking place in various universities across the city, shed light on the significance of reading, exploring and preserving our literature.

The Dialogue series, which is a part of the 'I Am Karachi' campaign, took place at Mohammad Ali Jinnah University (Maju) in collaboration with Express Media Group on Wednesday.

The session was moderated by journalist Ghazi Salahuddin and the panel included novelist Sajjad Haider and Maju faculty member Hassan Aftab. Salahuddin began the session by highlighting the importance of literature. "Reading literature humanises an individual," he said. "If you haven't read literature, you cannot express your feelings to the person you love or appreciate." He added that literature gives us a perspective to communicate our message to our loved ones.



Haider said that reading books is essential for individuals in a society. "A person who doesn't read books is like a bird in a cage," Haider said. "Reading helps a person to get out of the cage and explore the world of ideas." He added that identifying the power of imagination is a trait of successful societies. Aftab stirred a sense of enthusiasm among the audience by his rational stance. "You [the youth] are an agent of change and you have to bring a change in the society," Aftab said. "You cannot bring change by knowledge only." He stressed that knowledge is the first step in the ladder of change. "You can bring a change by experimenting," Aftab said, adding that imagination is a prerequisite to conduct an experiment. "In order to broaden our sense of imagination, we have to have knowledge."

Salahuddin ended the session by stating that books are imperative to make a country successful. "Reading literature helps an individual to develop a sense of empathy," Salahuddin said. "The interplay of characters in literature cultivates a sense of empathy in an individual."

The upcoming session of 'Dialogue' will be held at Iqra University on April 17. The discussion will focus on the role of women in our society.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 16^th, 2015.