Minister Yumnam Khemchand on Sunday said today's children are becoming unfamiliar with folktales that impart knowledge and wisdom.

“Today's children are more drawn towards the internet and watching videos online. Not that this changing trend is completely bad, but it has a huge impact on society,” the minister said, while speaking at the inaugural of a 10-day Children Book Festival being held at Books & Coffee, Singjamei Thokchom Leikai.

The minister raised concern that the age-old tradition of elders of a family, especially the grandparents, narrating stories and folktales to the children have become a thing of the past. Through the folktales, eleders imp[rated knowledge and wisdom to children, he said.

Khemchand said the initiative of organising a Children's Book Festival is encouraging as it will help cultivate reading habits among the children and introduce them to the world of joy through reading.