A | 形式多样的主题活动助力培育阅读“引力场”，因地制宜结合特色打造阅读新场景，通过数字化等手段不断优化阅读体验……今年4月23日是第29个世界读书日，记者近日在浙江、北京、四川、西藏等地走访发现，各地因地制宜推出多项举措，从形式到内容推动全民阅读不断深化，促进全社会形成热爱阅读的氛围，让热爱阅读的人群更加愉悦地享受到读书的乐趣。 “Every role we take on simply expands the responsibility we already carry within.” The words felt inherent to the space… Ashish Shelar is a prominent Indian politician, lawyer, and one of Mumbai’s most recognisable public leaders. A senior figure in the Bharatiya Janata Party, he has served multiple terms as an MLA from Bandra West and held key organisational roles, including President of the Mumbai BJP. Known for his sharp legal mind and grassroots connections, Shelar has played a significant role in shaping Mumbai’s civic and developmental policies, championing issues related to education, urban infrastructure, and youth empowerment. He currently serves as the IT Minister and Cultural Minister of Maharashtra, roles in which he is driving digital growth, creative advancement, and cultural preservation across the state. Beyond politics, Shelar is deeply associated with sports and community initiatives. As former President of the Mumbai Cricket Association, he has supported major sports infrastructure and talent development. A Bandra boy at heart, Ashish Shelar remains an influential voice in Mumbai’s evolving public life. To understand Ashish Shelar is to recognise a figure shaped as much by Mumbai’s vibrant energy as by its quieter, inherited traditions. He is a man who has risen through the city’s layered terrain without severing himself from the places that first formed him. Years spent in a modest chawl did not merely define his beginnings; they created a lifelong grammar of community, discipline and instinctive empathy. His journey is not the familiar arc of a politician sculpted by circumstance, but that of a man who learned early that responsibility grows not from opportunity but from exposure to collective life. Those formative corridors shaped his sense of belonging long before public leadership entered his vocabulary. Even today, beneath the roles he carries, there remains the unmistakable presence of someone who has listened closely to the city’s heartbeat. He understands its festivals and its silences, its ambition and its anxieties, its need for celebration, and its longing for continuity. In Shelar’s public persona, there is a rare blend of assertiveness and accessibility, a combination that allows him to move with equal ease through the institutional corridors of government and the lived reality of people’s everyday concerns. He stands as part of a generation of leaders who have witnessed Mumbai reinvent itself repeatedly, and he carries those transformations within him with a sense of responsibility that feels both personal and civic. The door opened with the quiet certitude of a room designed for conversation rather than display. Inside sat Ashish Shelar, composed and unhurried, carrying the ease of someone who has grown from the same soil as the city he serves. Nothing about the setting felt performative. It had the atmosphere of a familiar Mumbai afternoon where stories drift into the air long before they were spoken aloud. As Rachana Shah and Rhythm Wagholikar took their seats, the room softened into a steady rhythm. Shelar seemed intent on speaking not as a political figure but as a man shaped by the everyday pulse of the city that raised him. What followed was an interaction that moved with an unforced grace. It was a conversation that did not rush to conclusions but allowed insights to surface with their own natural cadence. Memories blended with reflections, personal anecdotes mingled with convictions, and the portrait of a leader quietly deepened. By the time the discussion drew to a close, it felt less like an interview and more like a window into the making of a man who continues to carry Mumbai within him. The interview was warm, engaging, and revealing in its own gentle way, unfolding with the ease of a story that simply needed the right moment to be told. What follows are curated excerpts from a candid and wide-ranging interview with Ashish Shelar, conducted by Rachana Shah and Rhythm Wagholikar…. You grew up in a period that shaped Mumbai’s cultural and social identity. What part of that childhood shaped you? My childhood in a Mumbai chawl was my first schooling. Life unfolded in proximity. You heard your neighbour’s joys and anxieties; you witnessed their efforts and celebrations. You grew into every festival, every household, every shared courtyard. That instinct for coexistence shaped me long before I understood the words for it. It taught me informality, empathy, and a rhythm of belonging that no structured education can offer. Before public life found you, who were you as a young student or dreamer? I was a struggler. There was no early ambition for leadership or public life. I worked hard for better education, for opportunities that seemed modest at the time but mattered immensely. Circumstances kept illusions at a distance. Looking back, I now understand that destiny or perhaps the guidance of my Sadguru had placed the path long before I recognised it. Faith remains central to your life even with the pressures of public responsibility. What sustains that connection? I like being with people. Service has always felt natural to me, whether in development work, healthcare assistance or simple presence. Temple visits are an extension of the same instinct. They keep me aligned with the inner rhythm I rely on. Mumbai has reinvented itself many times. What is the soul of the city today?The soul of Mumbai lies in shared celebration. A society thrives when people come together. In my childhood, Navratri nights, Devikala Utsav, Vrinda Utsav and small school gatherings were part of our emotional landscape. I used to write the display boards for competitions. These details may appear small, but they created belonging. Keeping that spirit alive feels like an essential responsibility. Was there a turning point that shaped your entry into public life? When our chawl was demolished, we moved to Bandra. I was in class four. That move brought me to the RSS Shakha. I entered first to play but soon absorbed the discipline, the stories of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the call of Vande Mataram and an early understanding of patriotism. Later came my years with ABVP as a full-time worker and then my journey through the BJP and Yuva Morcha. Each stage introduced its own discipline and widened my worldview. Among the cultural responsibilities you have held, which initiative remains closest to your heart? The UNESCO recognition of the twelve forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as a world heritage ensemble. Eleven forts in Maharashtra and one in Jinji, Tamil Nadu, were brought together under the understanding of the Maratha Military Landscape. For an entire cluster to receive recognition is rare. It has added significant value to our cultural and historical preservation, and this is one thing I hold closer to my heart. If you could highlight a lesser-known cultural treasure of Maharashtra, what would come to mind? There is no single answer,” he quietly smiled. “Our cultural depth stretches across languages, classical and semi-classical music, the energy of Lavani, the strength of theatre traditions, the devotion of the Varkari movement and the architecture of old temples and wells. Much of it has to be experienced rather than described.Politics can be emotionally demanding. How do you maintain balance? Sadhana. My connection with my guru. The guidance of Sai Baba. Daily discipline keeps the mind centred and prevents unnecessary restlessness. If you could pass on three cultural values to the next generation, what would they be? Humility, a mind free of ego and an alignment with nature. When you listen to your inner voice and stay close to nature, life aligns itself with you. Do sports, cinema and literature influence the modern Maharashtrian mindset? Human beings evolve through sensitivity. Films, music and theatre nurture emotional intelligence and expand imagination. They prepare individuals to be receptive and grounded. When your journey is written someday, which chapter would you hope stands out? I do not wish for any chapter to carry my name. Like for example, bringing back the historic sword of Chhatrapati Raghuji Raje Bhosale from London was meaningful, but it belongs to Maharashtra, not to any individual. Our life should be a dedication to humans and humanity. From grassroots worker to cultural minister, what essence defined the transition? Every stage widens your canvas. A ground worker thinks for the locality. A party worker thinks for the organisation. A representative thinks for the constituency. A minister thinks for the state. The thread that binds all stages is the ability to think for others. As the conversation drew to a natural close, the room remained exactly as it had been at the beginning, quiet and steady, untouched by the weight of the words that had passed through it. He carried the city’s shifts within him. He understood its silences, its speed, its contradictions, and its spirit. For Rachana Shah and Rhythm Wagholikar, the interaction became a portrait of a man shaped by Mumbai and now shaping it in return, with a clarity that felt both measured and unmistakably sincere. Also Read: Highlights From The 10th Filmfare Awards Marathi 2025。 丰富活动培育“引力场” 4月21日晚，浙江杭州春雨淅沥。
B | 位于杨柳郡小区的纯真年代书吧透出温暖灯光，一场主题为“《人间词话》‘境界’说之‘造境’与‘写境’”的讲座吸引不少听众到场聆听。
C | 在讲座中，文化学者曹文彪深入浅出地解析王国维对“境界”的独特理解。“讲座非常好，曹老师让我们更深入了解这部经典作品，回去后我再仔细阅读品味。”从浙江金华特地赶来的听众张标莲说。4月21日晚，听众在杭州纯真年代书吧聆听讲座。新华社记者魏一骏 摄 “作为一家小区里的书吧，除了书店功能，我们更多想为附近居民提供一个共享文化空间。”纯真年代主理人朱锦绣说，在属地彭埠街道文化站的支持下，相关活动贯穿全年，引导更多人培养热爱阅读的习惯。
D | 在雪域高原，咖啡厅、茶饮店林立的西藏拉萨藏大中路，开设了当地首个城市文化驿站“hima hima隙马画廊”。除阅读外，市民在此还能参加文化沙龙、观看展览。 作为拉萨市首届图书展会分会场，日前这里开展了一场艺术书装帧工作坊活动，一群青年动手体验书籍装帧的乐趣。依托城市书房和城市文化驿站，今年全年拉萨预计开展不少于60场公共文化活动。青年在拉萨市新型公共文化空间城市文化驿站“hima hima隙马画廊”参加艺术书装帧工作坊活动。（德吉曲珍 摄） “阅读不能仅仅集中在世界读书日前后，近年来各地举行形式多样的活动吸引更多人加入阅读的队伍，对普及阅读文化、引导人们形成常态化阅读习惯很有帮助。”中央民族大学社会学系副教授范叶超说。 因地制宜开拓新场景 中午一点，走进位于四川成都青羊区光华街道的益民菜市（家园店），几名摊主正在“菜市书屋”里看书聊天。
E | 书屋内书籍种类丰富、摆放有序，环境整洁温馨，10余平方米的空间内，书香味和菜市场的烟火气交织汇聚。
F | “这间‘菜市书屋’从去年10月开始运营，读者大部分是菜市经营户及其子女，以及附近来买菜的居民。”益民菜市（家园店）店长苟明朝说，这里的书籍大多是健康知识、家庭菜谱、育儿手册等实用类书籍，更有针对性地满足附近居民和经营户的阅读需求。4月16日中午，益民菜市（家园店）的经营户在“菜市书屋”内读书。新华社记者周以航 摄 据了解，按照“市级规划+属地统筹+市场运营+志愿服务”多元共治模式，目前成都市创新打造并开放47家“菜市书屋”，为市民提供邻里交流、亲子阅读、休憩放松的公共惠民空间。
G | 四月的北京，繁花似锦。地安门十字路口南侧，一座古色古香的建筑静静矗立，写有“中国书店”的牌匾在蓝绿色调门梁彩绘的映衬下，显得庄重古朴。 始建于1420年的地安门雁翅楼是北京中轴线上的著名景观。“中国书店雁翅楼店自2015年开业以来，一直努力打造特色文化阅读空间。”中国书店雁翅楼店经理孙奕介绍说，从最初以传统国学、古籍类图书展陈为主，到运用屏风、书架、展台等构成多个功能区域，再到在二层打造综合性中轴线文化阅读空间……这座优雅安静的城市书房成为众多市民的“悦读”场所。4月16日，读者在中国书店雁翅楼店翻阅书籍。新华社记者杨淑君 摄 “我的工作需要积累大量关于北京文化的知识，在这里能找到很多有关大运河、中轴线、老北京胡同的书籍资料。”北京市民方喆告诉记者，平时他还很喜欢带着4岁的儿子一起来，“孩子一进门就跑去自己看书，在这里他读得特别专注。” 提升服务让阅读不受限 走进四川省图书馆二楼大厅，西侧的智慧阅读空间吸引不少读者驻足，这里集合了多种智慧阅读设备，包括搭载在线书城系统的墨水屏阅读器、“瀑布流电子借阅系统”、智能棋艺桌和数字书法机等。自2022年1月对外开放服务以来，截至2023年底这里已累计服务读者约119万人次。 该馆还通过数字化建设不断简化借阅流程，目前不仅支持使用身份证、社保卡等实体卡借阅，还在微信公众号上推出电子借阅卡，读者只需将书放置在自助借还书机的图书感应区，就能批量识别和借还。市民王女士用手机扫码一次性归还了6本童书，“批量借还功能节约了很多时间，相比实体卡我更常用电子卡，有时没带身份证也不担心。” 此外，川渝阅读一卡通项目也正稳步推进，该馆15台自助借还书机中，有2台专门提供通借通还服务，读者凭身份证或社保卡即可享受成渝两地图书馆资源一站式检索、文献传递、图书通借通还等智慧化服务。据介绍，目前四川73家公共图书馆与重庆42家公共图书馆已实现图书通借通还。在四川省图书馆，读者正在使用自助借还书机批量还书。新华社记者周以航 摄 夜已深，浙江三门县的大剧院和合书吧内仍有不少市民在阅读自习。当地建立的24小时自助图书馆和合书吧，以更优化的服务让阅读不受限。 “目前全县已建成13家和合书吧，市民可就近选择，刷身份证或扫脸入馆，免费借阅；书吧还提供有声阅览、主题化场景布置等，让更多读者爱上图书馆，享受这里的文化气氛。”三门县图书馆副馆长李旭说。 记者：魏一骏、周以航、杨淑君、魏冠宇、董小红 策划/编辑：徐曼。
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