(The essay was contributed to the Times of India, Southpole column.)
Lethargy ruled over the Pongal festival weekend when I overcame the procrastination and made it on a weekday to visit the 40th Annual Chennai Book Fair. Such an ambience was a colourful carnival to me more than anyone else. As a bilingual writer who had authored 23 books, I make it a point to greet my frontline publishers whenever the reading tent pitches in Chennai. Displaying a VIP pass royally, I jumped into the spreading crowd to swim in the ocean of books. Never we can fathom the depth of a topic or judge a book by its cover or underestimate the content by the price tag. The fresh coat of paint and a spiral array of books will pull everyone into the stall. While opening a new book to turn over the pages for a glance, the smell of fresh ink on untouched pages will pump joy and rejuvenates the starving soul. I merrily walked into all stalls presuming a red carpet has been exclusively laid out there for me. How magnanimous and courteous, the organisers were!
Soon there was an eerie silence when the Minister for Education walked past me. He dropped into some of the stalls at random to enquire about new arrivals and to receive publishers' feedback. Before could I audibly hear his talk, an office bearer of BAPASI and also my publisher, patted my shoulder and requested me to be seated at his stall. I promised to drop into his stall after making a few rounds of pick-and-buy books at a discount. At least a crore of books should have been around. It was an overwhelming crowd that was on the slow move. Cutting across the barriers of ages and physical disability, a whopping number of 1.5 million footfalls should have been registered in these ten days. Many kids and grown up children picked out all kinds of books that fascinated them at sight. As an avid reader and a writer, I made it a point to watch the main subjects that were mostly preferred by the book lovers. Some were behind cookery, health, diet, organic farming; some were noting down the available books on management, statistics, economics, engineering, politics; while the mixed age group went on digging the shelves for Siddhaology, religious epics, classics, literature, personality development, motivation and biographies.
When a kid hurriedly picked books of Enid Blyton and Harry Potter, its mother forced it to leave on the table saying 'where is the space to keep all books at home?' Soon the kid pulled up the face. Yes, this is the situation. Is there sufficient place to read? Does a reading atmosphere exist at all homes? Sooner we enter any middle-class house, we see dolls, faded photos, prize cups, shields, mementoes, a bunch of newspapers on teepoy and a shoe rack at a remote corner of the drawing room. Of course, a lizard or spider would also share the space. With homework and extra-curricular activities, these kids seldom get time to read the new books bought and stacked. Though in India, reading habit is not alarmingly low, the space and time for book reading are yet to improve. With technology occupying the living room, e-books are not always preferred as it is detrimental to eye nerves and brain. The healthy mode of a conventional book is always the choice to soothe eyes and read at ease.
An electronic version can never ever replace print version. When the target for sale was at fifteen crore rupees, the purpose of the fair remains well justified. Book fairs are dutifully conducted throughout the year by the Booksellers' & Publishers' Association of South India (BAPASI). At first place, I have to congratulate my publisher friend Mr.G.Olivannan, Treasurer, BAPASI. Under his supervision, the organising committee sprang up to conceive, organise and successfully conduct the event management without a glitch when the demonetization effect is being felt. A sufficient number of swiping card machines were installed, visitors never felt a pinch in using plastic currency. All safety and medical amenities were at a ready call. Ample parking slot and bus connectivity were key factors. BAPASI successfully conducts book fair in all districts of Tamilnadu every year. Chennai celebrates the event equally as much as Kolkatta does.
Mr.Oli is a multifaceted personality. A mechanical engineer, successful publisher, writer, social worker, and a hood human. He is at present the District Governor of Rotary International District 3230. His services during the December deluge and Vardha cyclone were highly laudable.
Next only to the highest number of offset printing machines in Guttenberg, 'the little Japan' Sivakasi dots second on the world map. With the rising cost of book production, all is not well to run a publishing shop with courage. My publishers like NCBH, Vijaya, Karpagam, and Leo, who have a big banner image in the industry, are constrained to shoestring budget without compromise. The loss suffered by them during the December deluge in 2015 did not seem to dampen the spirit. Despite pending partial insurance claim settlement, they rose up like a phoenix from the water. In spite of such a situation, they manage to make it big at every event. The Tamil diaspora had its presence at the Singapore Writers Stall that exhibited published works of ethnic writers in all genres. Educational institutions made a good purchase of books for libraries. On the other hand, the schools that provide e-Learning classrooms may not cultivate book reading attitude in children.
I wish the general public would not let down good reading habits. It gave an ecstatic feel when books authored by me were bought by readers in large number. As an author of four Siddha treatise books, when I was busy clicking close-ups of some out-of-print specimen books at the Thanjavur Saraswathi Mahal stall, a senior student from the College of Architecture and Sculpture came enquiring, 'Do you have a reprint copy of the 19th-century book, 'Manasara - Shilpa Shastra'? I was spellbound on the wide spectrum of diverse topics preferred across the timeline circa. The readers are eagerly looking forward to the next ‘red carpet’ welcome.
- S.Chandrasekar
(The author is a bilingual writer, columnist and core HR Trainer, Chennai.)
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