Expensive Books Discourage Readers

Ayesha Khan

I always wanted to visit the much talked about "World Book Fair" even when I was in school. Now that I finally got the opportunity to visit the World Book Fair 2016, I was overwhelmed. 

This was a golden opportunity for someone like me to observe and experience everything. Starting by Hall number 12 , which was basically all about Hindi books and books in Regional Languages. As soon as I entered I grabbed all the free booklets instantly. Realising later that it wasn't of much use to me. But then, I believe no book can be useless.

After going through a lot of books from 'Shayaris' by Munnawar Rana , Works of Manto, Premchand, Books on Gandhi, Shaheed Bhagat Singh , Modi etc , I finally decided to buy a book by Ravish Kumar published by Antika publication. I could have put that 130 to so many other uses but I preferred this over any other thing. (Being Middle class gives you this unique quality of thinking of as many options money can be put up to as possible before actually spending it) 

As soon as I proceeded to Hall 11 , I became a little conscious. This Hall was the one which had the most renowned ( read expensive) English publishers. I felt a little disheartened. There were so many books I wanted to read but couldn't buy! And then there were people who were buying them without even thinking twice. I'm not being jealous. This is just a reality check. This reminds me how much inequality is actually present in the society. Like everything else in the world, which reminds me of my limits, this magical world of books too did the same. 

And an ardent reader went back home a little heartbroken but a lot more determined to erase that limit. Or in that case all the limits.