Silchar: In an age when screens often compete with books for attention, a small community-focused library in Silchar is trying to bring people back to the simple joy of reading.

The Lt. Biswajit Gupta Memorial Library, located at Old Kalibari Road in Malugram, is being developed in memory of Lt. Biswajit Gupta, a banker, student leader, union leader and cultural enthusiast whose love for people and belief in human potential continue to inspire the initiative.

The library is open to students, parents, young people, homemakers, retired citizens and working professionals. It aims to provide a peaceful space where people can read, reflect, learn and spend quality time.

But the story of the library begins much before its doors opened.

A Father’s Simple Lesson

For Biswajit Gupta, reading was not simply a hobby. It was something he wanted his children to grow up with.Every month, after receiving his salary, he would visit the Wheeler’s bookstall at Dimapur Railway Station. He would return home with a fresh collection of books and magazines and leave them on the table for his two sons.

One Sunday, he noticed that the books were still untouched.

With his characteristic humour, he handed his sons a ruler and told them that even if they were not reading the books, they should at least use the scale to open the uncut pages; otherwise, people might think the books were kept only for show.

The sarcasm had the desired effect.

The incident became a turning point. His sons began reading the books and magazines, and the habit stayed with them.The memorial library carries that same idea forward, turning a personal family memory into a public space for readers.

More Than Just a Library

The collection includes books purchased and collected by the family over several decades, along with books donated by well-wishers and members of the public from different parts of the world.The library will offer a reading area and membership facilities. Members can also reserve books through WhatsApp and take part in online book review meetings.

Annual membership is priced at ₹300 and includes a one-year subscription to the KRC TIMES e-copy. The library also allows non-members to access its facilities during specified hours.

Books are normally issued for a maximum of seven days. Members returning a book can borrow another title immediately. Those wishing to borrow more than one book at a time need to provide a refundable security deposit equal to 50 per cent of the book’s value for each additional book.

The library also encourages members to donate books and share short video reviews on social media to encourage others to read.

Read, Recycle and Pass It On

One of the distinctive ideas behind the project is its focus on sharing and recycling books. Under its book club initiative, titled “Read, Recycle, Reach, Reuse, Rejoice,” people are encouraged to donate gently used books and give them a new life.

Visitors can also take up to two complimentary books from the donated collection.

The KRC Foundation plans to recycle donated books by distributing them to schools and colleges every month. The idea is simple: read a book and then pass it on to a friend, family member or back to the library so that another reader can enjoy it. The library also provides internship opportunities for students who want to contribute to building a stronger reading culture.

A Space for Every Generation

The vision of the library goes beyond encouraging children to read. It seeks to create a space where different generations can meet through books and shared experiences. For children, the focus is on developing reading habits from an early age and encouraging curiosity and imagination.

For senior citizens, the library aims to offer a welcoming place where they can spend time, discover books and return regularly. They are also encouraged to share their experiences and wisdom with younger readers, both in person and through recorded video messages.

The initiative also seeks to provide homemakers with an opportunity to connect with others, spend quality time and take part in community-building activities.

Building a Community Around Books

The library is an initiative of the Knowledge Resource Centre Foundation (KRC Foundation), which describes itself as a broad-spectrum consulting organisation working in areas including media and communication, IT services, training and research, entrepreneurship coaching and project execution.

For the foundation, the library is also a platform for promoting volunteerism, book recycling, student internships and parenting support. Its mission includes building early reading habits through intergenerational mentorship and maintaining continuous engagement through online webinars and social media activities.

The wider idea is to make the library a place where people do more than borrow books. It is intended to become a community space where knowledge is shared, books are reused, and people of different ages can connect.

Remembering a Life of Leadership

At the heart of the project remains the memory of Lt. Biswajit Gupta. The library describes him as a man whose life was shaped by leadership, social purpose and warmth. A banker by profession, he was involved in student leadership and later served as a union leader. He was also actively involved in cultural activities and was remembered for his creativity and strong social outlook.

He is described as flamboyant, happy-go-lucky and brave, with a natural ability to manage people and bring them together. His belief in people and their potential remains the guiding force behind the library. In that sense, the Lt. Biswajit Gupta Memorial Library is more than a collection of books.

It is a family memory transformed into a public resource, and a personal lesson about reading turned into an invitation for an entire community.“Dedicated with gratitude to a father, a leader and a gentleman” on his birth anniversary, which falls on 20th August.

Prof. Manoj Kumar Sinha Lauds New Memorial Library Initiative

Prof. Manoj Kumar Sinha, Dean of the Swami Vivekanand School of Library Sciences at Assam University, has commended the establishment of a new community library. He, in a message, stated:I am very happy to learn that you have taken a very nice initiative to establish a Library in the loving memories of your beloved father to guide our future generations.
I hope this Personal Collection Library would definitely be useful for the community people and the older generation to spend their valuable time, and also for younger generations to find a place in your locality to have a reading and study space.
This initiative would definitely give peace to your father’s soul.
I extend my best wishes to this initiative to successfully flourish and keep your father’s memories alive.

Congratulations and best wishes from my behalf for your noble initiative. 

Library Details

Lt. Biswajit Gupta Memorial Library
H. No. 15, Old Kalibari Road, Malugram, Silchar, 788002, Assam

Email: info@krcfoundation.org
Phone: +91-9330830083
Website: www.krcfoundation.org
Account: @krcfoundation

Membership: ₹300 per year, including a one-year subscription to KRC TIMES e-copy.

Opening Hours:
Saturday & Sunday: 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Weekdays: 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Membership can be obtained online by filling out the Google Form: https://bit.ly/LBGMLmembership

The library is expected to become fully operational on September 15th, 2026.