The
International Book Fair 2020 concluded at the Pragati Maidan yesterday. This is
an annual affair. The theme this year was Mahatma Gandhi, though very few stalls
sold books written by Mahatma Gandhi. Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, to
whom goes the credit of publishing all the works of Gandhiji, was also conspicuous
by its absence.
It
is a general perception that people have lost interest in books these days. However,
I was surprised when I could not get to buy quite a few books during my visit
to some of the stalls. When I enquired at the stall of Bihar Rajbhasha
Parishad, Patna on the concluding day yesterday, the person manning the stall informed
me that the complete stock of books written by noted writer such as Phaneshwar
Nath Renu, Ramvriksh Benipuri and Shivpujan Sahay that they had brought at this
book fair had sold out. People still prefer to read established writers rather
than giving new writers a try. Premchand still sells more than any other Hindi
writer. So is the case with renowned English writer. As a result all Hindi
publishers publish Premchand’s collection of short stories in a bid to get
maximum return.
It was also interesting to note that religious books were distributed free of cost
by a number of publishers and the publication wing of various religious order.
I collected quite a few of these but found them of not much use. These are
efforts at indoctrination which blunts your ability to think critically, more
so in present times when people readily accept forwarded messages and clippings
without verifying their authenticity.
