'Book reading culture has increased during last 5-10 years'

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said book reading culture has increased during the last five to ten years and new age applications or mediums like Kindle, WhatsApp and television cannot replace it.
"Kindle, TV and WhatsApp cannot replace the (book) reading habit. Original will always remain original. The (book) reading culture will always remain. In fact, I can say that book reading culture has increased during last five to ten years," Parrikar told a gathering after laying the foundation stone of a new building for 108-year-old library here.
The Minister further said initially the written words were considered as the ultimate truth.

"After that there came television. We started believing what we see. Many people don't know that the footage on TV can be doctored," the former Goa Chief Minister added.
"Written (print) journalism is much more responsible than televised journalism," he quipped.
"Now WhatsApp has arrived, so individual person has become an editor. What is important that when information that is given to the people, they should filter it and absorb. People should know to read between the lines. The way we judge the people, we should judge content on WhatsApp," Parrikar added.