New Delhi: Amidst the rising cross-border tension between India and Pakistan, the presence of only one distributor from the neighbouring country at the ongoing 25th New Delhi World Book Fair has left book lovers disappointed.
With the Pakistani representation being reduced to a sole distributor this year compared to four last year, it is understandable that Lahore-based Manshurat Publishers at the foreign pavilion is attracting noticeable footfall with bibliophiles thronging the stall asking for sundry titles in Urdu.
Books in Urdu, like Jab Zindagi Shuru Hogi by Abu Yahya — a fictional narrative of life after death, and Jannat Kay Pattey by Nimra Ahmed — a socio-romantic novel about courage, reality, struggle, and faith, were picked up in large numbers by bibliophiles from Shadab’s stall.
“We are actually based in New Delhi and act as Manshurat’s distributors here. Unlike in the past, no one has come from the Lahore-based Manshurat this time. So, the responsibility to run the stall has fallen on our shoulders,” said Mohammad Shadab, Manshurat’s distributor in India.
Other Pakistani publishing houses which participated in the fair were children’s publications, Al Hasanat Books Pvt Ltd and National Book Foundation.
Reena Zariwala, a Gujarati housewife who happened to be in Delhi and visited the book fair, said: “It is sad that Pakistan is practically missing from such an event, and as happens often, it does not realise it has lost an opportunity,” she said.
Another visitor, Bhupinder Singh Kolianwali from Punjab, had turned up at the stall owing to his fascination for Pakistani serials that were banned following the terror attack in Uri.
A professor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that reading of books from across borders must be encouraged to diffuse the prevailing narrative of ignorance and hate.
