inam ul rehman
On August 3, I visited a book fair titled Chinar Book Festival organised by the National
Book Trust of India at the expansive SKICC lawns. The moment I stepped into the
shamiyana erected at the back lawns, I was hit by suffocating heat, stale air,
posters of politicians, and hundreds of government schoolchildren darting about
— not for books, but for keychains and snacks.
I kept wondering: why do politicians need to inaugurate a book fair? Why must everything be politicised? Inside, the heat was unbearable and the chaos created by school children worse — stall after stall lined with pirated books. I don’t know why school children were dragged into this? Is it for footfalls to show that the book fair attracted everyone? To put this book fair into perspective, the weekly book market at Mahila Haat, Daryagunj in New Delhi outmatches this in size and genuine offerings.
Apart from a handful of genuine stalls mostly run by the
locals, the rest were filled with cheap copies with little variety. The
SKUAST-K even ran a food counter right among the books, as if books weren’t
enough to sell.
At the left side a blaring music stage was set up to run all
day, and you know where the majority of the people will throng. On its right
side a professor’s voice got drowned while speaking about the importance of
literature at an early age. If you are wondering what musical events have to do
with book fair, you are not alone.
I saw an energetic man pull out a carefully written list of
books, only to be told none of them were available. I even saw my colleague bringing
his children along to get them their favourite books. He too along with his children
were disappointed.
If you want pirated copies, this book fair is for you—just don’t expect a paradise of choices. Compared to last year, many book sellers did not return. According to stall owners, the rates are too high. Instead of spending so much money in inaugurating and inviting politicians it would have been better to attract publishers from India with some concessions. Strangely not many publication houses turned up denying schools a chance to source books directly rather than having intermediaries. Last year I was optimistic that this year it would be bigger, better and without any politics!
But if you’ve never been inside the SKICC, here is good news for you: the entry is
free, stroll the beautiful lawns, enjoy Dal lake, click selfies, — the books are optional.
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