HT Correspondent
TEZPUR, Jan 25: Tezpur witnessed a rare moment of collective quiet as Page Turners, a women-led literary initiative, organised “Tezpur Reads,” a silent reading event that drew an overwhelming response from the town. More than a hundred readers gathered to read together in silence, reaffirming the city’s enduring bond with books.
The event was graced by Dr Sanjukta Parasor, IPS, Inspector General of CID, Assam and Satyakee D’Com Bhuyan, noted author, academician and actor, as special guests. Their presence lent inspiration and encouragement to this cultural venture aimed at reclaiming reading as a shared, reflective experience.
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Highlighting the importance of books, Dr Parasor said, “Reading transports individuals to different places and dimensions, regardless of the book’s genre or the reader’s location. A book has the power to take one to a different world while sitting here in Tezpur enjoying the winter sun.” Satyakee D’Com Bhuyan spoke on the enduring values of stories like Grandmother’s Kitchen Stories and emphasised the importance of reading for the younger generation. Quoting his favorite phrases, “so what” and “why not,” he said, “I’ve been using these two phrases to keep myself alive.”
The event saw strong participation from students and faculty of institutions including Government Boys’ and Girls’ Higher Secondary Schools, St Joseph’s Convent School, Tezpur Science Academy, Roushan National School, Polaris Academy, Tezpur College, Darrang College and Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi Girls’ College. A special moment was the felicitation of four students—Nilotpal Das, Nayan Das, Lakhya Das and Nirab Jyoti Saikia, who won the second prize at the National Orchestra Competition during National Kala Utsav 2025.
With readers sitting together in shared silence—reading, reflecting and simply being—Tezpur Reads emerged not just as an event but as a statement that in an age of constant noise, silence can be a powerful form of collective expression. Page Turners’ initiative marks a promising beginning for future literary engagements in the city.
