National
Dull Delhi Book Fair ends on high note
New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS) The 23rd Delhi Book Fair, a low-key affair this year, finally saw a huge number of book lovers turning up for the event on its concluding day on Sunday.
The nine-day event, after opening on a dull note and drawing sparse crowds throughout, managed to pull off a decent show from Friday and over the weekend. The clear sky and the relaxed Sunday gave the book lovers an extra incentive to visit the book fair in its final hours.
With the theme of “Padhe Bharat, Badhe Bharat” (May India read, May India progress), the fair was organised by the Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP) in association with the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO).
Nity Sharma, a scientist working with DRDO who came along with her twin daughters Tyulip and Twishaa, said: “I love book fairs because even in the era of Kindle, events like this keep alive the charm that books have. It is the smell of the books that draws me to the book fairs. My daughters have Kindle, but they too prefer books.”
As the event saw low visitor turnout in its initial days, the publishers sought to lure them by offering heavy discount on books this weekend. That turned into a major attraction for the youth.
“I got to know about it quite late but had to make it this time. I heard from my friends that there’s a heavy discount on books. I got three books for just Rs 100,” said Archana Rao, a student of Jamia Milia Islamia.
The rising numbers crowding the stalls over the past three days also brought some welcome relief and respite to the hard-pressed publishers.
Satyendra Singh Bisht of Pitambar Publication said: “We had lost hope of any profit this time. Even last Sunday it wasn’t that crowded… Maybe it’s the last day, but I am happy to see people showing interest in books. It gives us some hope.”
Another attraction at this year’s fair was the stationery hall which drew more crowds than the books hall. From customised diaries and notepads to interior decoration items, the wide variety attracted throngs of excited visitors and buyers.
However, all publishers were generally of the opinion that this year’s book fair did not turn out to be as good as in the past.
According to them, several factors like violence by Dera Sacha Sauda followers after the court verdict convicting him of rape, sudden monsoon showers, absence of big publishing houses and lack of publicity of the once-premier event affected the sale of books at the 23rd edition of the book fair.
According to the organisers, paucity of funds majorly dented the fair this year. They also noted that around 40 publishers were not present this time, and this not only affected the funds but also disappointed many visitors.
Absence of big publishing houses like Penguin and HarperCollins and some majors from Hindi publishing industry was notable and left the wholesalers, retailers and readers dissatisfied.
“There are many books, but I did not find them that appealing. I was looking forward to some new books, but found the same collection as that of last year. It’s a little disappointing for us,” said Sharmila Rana from Punjabi Bagh.
The widespread feeling of disappointment notwithstanding, the visitors hoped the book fair would offer better and richer fare next year.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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