Remember Chamatka, Suppandi, Tales of Birbal and Jataka Tales? Apparently, a startup, ACK Media, is acquiring a majority stake in Amar Chitra Katha Pvt. Ltd., the company which publishes the wonderful Amar Chitra Katha comics, besides Tinkle and Double Digest.
While I was growing up, this definitely a big hit - a lot more interesting than the history teacher’s droning, dates and maps, a peek into Indian culture and mythology and a definite pride in being Indian. Where else would you see 10 year old eager to read about Rabindranath Tagore’s life or Amarapali, the court dancer in the ancient kingdom of Vaishali and her conversion to Buddism? Also for a generation that was exposed to mainly British literature, this was a refreshing dose of reality and what with Little Anwar, Tantri the Mantri and of course, “It Happened to Me”, a section where readers could write in. I remember huge comic exchange programs every summer vacation when stacks of comics would be lent and borrowed and actually read! Yes, the content is clinical, too non-controversial and sometimes not factual. But I can definitely attest that they are a wonderful tool to make kids sit down and read, get interested in history and feel a sense of pride in being Indian. How many textbooks or any other book for that matter can claim that distinction?
So go for it ACK Media, rerelease those 200 issues that are not in circulation and reach out to a wider audience. I see many a parent appreciating those Kodak moments of quietness while watching their kids engrossed in reading about India!
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