the questions are marked grey, followed by the answers.

Host: Welcome to Postcards, your unseen passport to all things people, policy, and politics.

I'm your host, Nikunj, and today we're talking about libraries.

What makes a library powerful? Is it the books on the shelves? Is it the silence between the walls? Or is it the radical idea that anyone can walk in, sit down, pick up a book, and discover an entirely new world?

Reading has, from time immemorial, been shaped by caste, class, race, gender, and many other social factors. That makes us ask: Who is the library truly for? And what is this radical idea of reading, not just individually, but reading together?

To explore these questions and much more, I'm joined by Mridula Koshy, writer, former trade union organiser, and co-founder of The Community Library Project.

Thank you so much for joining us today.

Speaker: Thank you for having me.

Host: You mentioned there was a concert at The Community Library Project yesterday. Tell us a little more about that.

Speaker: Back in 2015, two young boys walked into our library and became members. At the time, we were based in Panchsheel Vihar. Later, when we had to move to Khirki, they continued coming to the library and eventually became library leaders.

Not surprisingly, they were artists. I think people who think creatively in one sphere often think creatively in another. They were exploring art while also thinking deeply about the library.

For us, the library is a place where people exercise leadership around questions like who has access to ideas and who gets to express what they think.

These young people began rapping about everything. Later, other boys from the library started rapping too, perhaps inspired by them. Khirki already has a rich history of rap culture, so yesterday's concert was about connecting with that history.

One of Khirki's original rappers, MC Friezac, joined us for the concert. He had never been available before, so it felt special to have him there.

Khirki is an incredibly vibrant place where there's always a sense of possibility. The library reflects that spirit, but it also creates space for other forms of expression—music, art, and culture.

We also have Ambedkarite communities, a transgender community, and many different groups around us. Tomorrow, for example, the library will host a discussion on the Transgender Amendment Bill.

There's always something happening that's relevant to the community. The concert wasn't only about celebrating history, it was about recognizing that these young people are creating history themselves through their art and ideas.

Host: That reminds me of Manzil and the work Ravi and his team have been doing. It also began as a community space where people gathered, and over time it evolved into theatre, music, and many other creative initiatives.

It sounds like something similar has happened at your library.

Speaker: Yes, we've actually had some interaction with Manzil Mystics because our third library branch in Kotla Mubarakpur is very close to them. There's been some exchange around music and theatre.