Language Dept books on martyr out of stock, no reprint in 20 years

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Jalandhar, September 29

The three-day ‘Inquilab’ festival dedicated to Shaheed Bhagat Singh is going on but there is not even a single book, based on the life of the martyr by the Language Department, available at the stall. Two books, one in Hindi and Punjabi, were published almost 20 years ago, but both have been out of stock for years because these were never reprinted.

A book in Hindi, ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh’, was published in 2002. It had 83 pages. Another book in Punjabi titled ‘Yug Purush Bhagat Singh te ohna de buzurg’ was also published in 2003. As per information, no new book based on the martyr was published after 2003 by the department.

During the Inquilab festival that started from Nawanshahr on Thursday, inaugurated by Cultural Affair Minister Anmol Gagan Mann on the 116th birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh, people were seen thronging a bookstall put up by the department and many visitors were also asking for the books based on Bhagat Singh’s life and journey.

“Most of the people asked about the books related to the great revolutionary. The department should reprint the books,” an official said.

Veerpal Kaur, Director of the Language Department, Punjab, said 46 books had been sent for reprinting and will be out soon. “Also, we plan to publish new books based on Shaheed Bhagat Singh,” she said.