“A Chapter Unwritten: Locals React to Book House Delay”
Kartik Sharma (Shimla): The book cafe in New Shimla, which was made under the Smart City project, has its infrastructure completed but remains locked for the common people’s access.
The proposal for the cafe was initiated by The President of Sector-3 Resident Welfare Society, Swaraj Lalit, who said that it was their dream to have a community hall for the nearby residents, Similar to the other nearby sectors in New Shimla, each of which had its facility or amenity.
“Controversy Over Repurposed Community Building”
There was no major controversy, but a building initially proposed to serve as a community hall was later repurposed into a book café intended to function as a library for local children. Eventually, it became a store for ‘HimEra,’ a brand that sources organic and traditional products crafted by self-help groups (SHGs) in remote areas.
In response to this, Nisha Thakur, the counselor of the New Shimla region, voiced the opinion of the local people in the house, asserting that the infrastructure should have been solely for the nearby community or children. She emphasized that at least one floor of the building must be used for its intended purpose.
What can the Cafe be used for
The local children and the community eagerly await the removal of the lock, and the space can be used for the Youva for discussion of their matters, or to organize a meal for the death anniversary of someone who has left for heavenly abode, or of course for silently reading a book in the calm.
A floor at the basement has already been given to the SHGs as per the claims via HimEra, where ofcourse betterment of the Rural Women is taking place.The cafe already has an almirah full of books that are eagre to be read by the readers. This could be observed with the transparent glass of the locked walls.
The building’s status is yet a cold controversy with a lock, latching the rights of community and potential individuals.
Kartik Sharma is a postgraduate from HPU who calls himself a slow learner but a curious researcher. He loves diving deep into topics like nature, music, bizarre stories, and counter-culture movements. If it’s unusual or thought-provoking, Kartik is sure to have an opinion on it.
He works as a journalist for Diary Times, balancing his passion for unbiased reporting with his knack for getting ldigging out something with a different news angle. Kartik is also an environmentalist, running initiatives to tackle waste and feed those in need, proving that actions speak louder than headlines.
Inspired by his dream to make his dad proud, Kartik writes with heart, humor, and a love for all things unique—though sometimes his stories take longer because he’s busy chasing the next big idea!
