Sunday, June 18, 2000		Article

Beg, buy or borrow, but do read books

AS we step into the new millennium with our lives being hit by the invasion of the satellites, has the age of the book really vanished? Wrapped in their new spirit of hedonism, how many among the youth of today have reading in their list of must-do-agendas?

"Nowadays, books don’t seem to hold the attention and interest of the young", says Asad Mirza, owner of ‘Midland’, the prestigious Aurobindo Market bookshop in Hauz Khas. He is quite confident of his statement as the percentage of youth amongst his customers is fast dwindling. Backing Mirza with statistical evidence is Mohan Kumar, the sales executive of the India Book House.

He informs that whereas earlier on an average 5,000 copies of the bestsellers were published, the figure has now fallen to 2-3,000 copies only. These bestsellers have generally been popular among the youth, but no longer, according to him.

The change in the attitude of the young is incipient — with the new urban, cosmopolitan attitude placing us in the laps of the likes of ‘Priya’ cinema and the ‘Happenings’ cyber-cafe in South Delhi. Alpana Sharma, a political science student of Delhi’s Bhagat Singh College feels the lack of time and energy to sit through a book. "I do not have the patience to carry me through a book. I would rather watch a movie", she says. She has abundant for watching a three-hour long non-stop movie with all the imagination valves shut!

What is, after all, the reason behind the vanishing number of young readers? Rising prices, feels Subhash Arora, the owner of Delhi’s famous South Extension bookshop, Teksons. "Many youngsters have cut down on reading due to the unaffordable prices of books nowadays", observes Arora. He feels that instead of buying a book worth Rs 300 or 400, boys and girls today would rather go for cheaper means of entertainment. Mirza of the Midland bookshop provides his own answer to the problem. He opines "as compared to other books, it is the ‘classics’ that sell the most". He further explains that the ‘classics’ are reprinted and are cheaper, for instance a Penguin classic, that used to be worth two or three dollars is now available for just one in reprinted editions.

Namrata Singh, a second-year History Hon’s student of St. Stephens’ College does not, however, seem to be much impressed by the rising-prices argument. According to her those who wanted to read cannot be stopped just because of the rising prices. "Why can’t they borrow or go to a library?" asks Namrata, adding that the real reasons for this apathy should rather be found behind the loopholes of the educational system. The CBSE Board, which caters to most of the Schools in Delhi, does not encourage reading as a habit. The series of short stories the course provides is a big let-down and most students read them just casually during exams".

Notwithstanding all the expressions of pessimism, the so called ‘cool’ lifestyle of this generation mesmerised by bowling alleys, sci fi video games, health clubs, beauty parlours and not to miss the famous nuclear explosions, there still are youngsters who believe reading a book to be the best means of entertainment. Pooja Bhartiya, an Economics Hons student of St. Stephens’ likes debating, playing tennis and making sketches, but reading remains her first love. "I have to read for a minimum of two hours everyday and nothing infringes upon that time", says Pooja. Though Pooja reads various types of books both fiction and non-fiction, books with a tinge a psychology or psychiatry interest her the most. Likewise, Richa Gopal, a final year journalism student in Lady Sri Ram College reads mostly fiction.

Kartikeya Tripathi, a St. Stephens’ History student is yet another avid young reader who likes to buy his books although from the flea market of Chandni Chowk. He admits that reading required a lot of patience but "once a book holds my attention, I just can’t put it down without completing it".

Giving a slightly different estimate than others is Suparna Vaidik, manager of the ‘Book Mark’, a fashionable bookshop of South Extension which opened recently. He feels very optimistic of the response of the young and says," Till now 50 to 70 per cent of my customers have been youngsters and though they generally go for fiction, the books on self-improvement are also very popular". The ‘Book Mark’ stores books related to at least 52 varied subject and Vaidik feels that a new addition of a rack of books in Hindi is surely attracting young customers.