A broken refrigerator and 500 books: How Kalidas Haldar started a reading revolution on the streets of Kolkata

In the Patuli area of West Bengal, 51-year-old Kalidas Haldar has been inspiring children to read. The English teacher currently runs 19 public libraries across the state, including four in Sunderbans, offering free books to students.However, what many are unaware of is how the school teacher's initiative began with a defunct refrigerator and 500 children's books that he bought from his own personal income. It wasn't always easy but one step after another, he kept going forward.“All I had was a broken refrigerator and just a few centimetres of space next to a grocery store on the pavement of Baishnabgahta Patuli Township," he told My Kolkata. On International Mother Language Day five years ago, he launched Patuli's first street library, filling the refrigerator with a collection of 500 books.For Haldar, he wanted to challenge the pre-conceived notion that "libraries are only for the elite and educated." "I believe street libraries are crucial for promoting education among everyday people,” he added. Haldar who has been teaching for over 26 years at Metropolitan Institution at the Bowbazar branch was concerned to see the decline in reading culture, especially in the younger generation around him.In 2021, during the COVID-19 outbreak, when electronic devices became everyone's gateway to the outer world, Haldar's son Kinghsuk urged him to do something for the sake of book lovers.Soon he rented a small space on the pavement and built a tin-covered library room. Now the space houses a huge collection of 6,000 to 7,000 books that either belong to his personal collection or have been donated by supporters. Today, along with Sunderbans and Kolkata, Haldar runs libraries in South 24 Parganas and Nadia. “Our 20th library will be launched soon in Baruipur’s Julpia. We are planning to open one in Malda as well,” he said.While Haldar was offering books, readers were yet to figure out the spot. This is where social media chimed in, boosting Patuli Street Library's popularity. He was also approached to replicate the model in different areas. "If you’re part of a group with a dedicated team willing to volunteer and want a street library in your locality, we’re happy to help,” Haldar said. He also runs a mobile library to invite more children into the initiative, especially those from marginalised areas. “Every week, we visit the nearby slum area of Garia in one of my neighbours’ cars. We distribute books among the kids. They read and return them when they’re done. The response is overwhelming,” he shared. Moreover, he operates a library on wheels near Rajabazaar Science College that moves around the locality. The culture is also enriched with street plays, reading circles, study sessions and drawing competitions, all held to keep the children interested. “My dream is to build 100 libraries in my lifetime. Surely, I can not do this alone, but I must achieve this,” he said.From novels, dictionaries to short stories and literary magazines, in English and Bengali languages are all available in Patuli Street Library (PSL) where every child can find a book to read and knowledge to gain.