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It’s a flop show, say regional publishers of World Book Fair

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By Somrita Ghosh
New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS) Amidst the huge rush at the stalls of prominent publishing houses like Penguin and Harper Collins in English or Rajkamal Publications or Ved Prakashan in Hindi at the World Book Fair, regional publishers are battling to pull the crowds to their stalls.

This has seen the participation of more than 800 publishers. There are around 30 regional publishers, lower than previous years. But even on the seventh day of the annual event on Friday, the the stalls of the regional publishers wore an empty look.

“We have been putting our stall every year but this year it’s a flop show for us. Despite being a book fair of international standards, there is no promotion of publishers who are coming from other states,” Prabir Maishan of Paschim Banga Prakashak Sabha told IANS.

Even though Delhi is home to people coming from different communities, the publishers said they don’t visit the book fair because they remain ignorant of the existence of regional publishers.

“You will find hoardings or promotion of big brands. They can afford to do so but we can’t. This is a government sponsored event yet the organisers take no initiative to promote our stalls. The organiser’s duty is just to hold this event; the rest they are not bothered about. Moreover, there is no shadow of demonitisation this time unlike last year, which was a major setback,” Maishan added.

Vipin Babu of Kerala’s National Book Stall also expressed his disappointment over the deserted scenario.

“There is quite a notable Malayali population living here but hardly anyone comes. It is more for the residents of the national capital. Only those who are frequent to the book fair are aware of the existence of our stalls,” he said.

Niranjan of Navyug Publisher, that brings out books in Punjabi, said that though there is a huge Punjabi population residing in Delhi, they are loath to reading books in their mother tongue.

“Now-a-days, the younger generation is more into learning English; they are not even keen on learning Hindi so forget about Punjabi. Only the middleaged or senior people visit us but in very samll numbers,” he stated.

Most of the regional stalls have been put up by representatives of state-run publishing houses or universities who have to pay comparatively than the private publishers.

“The organisers are increasing the rent of the stalls every year. The solo publishers cannot afford this. Forget profits, it even becomes difficult to make up the cost of the stall. Yesterday, we sold only one book for Rs 100. So, we cannot even think of making a profit,” Pratap S, who didn’t wish who he is representing, commented.

Even bibliophiles who came to the fair with much expectations expressed their disappointment over what was on offer.

“Ever since the book fair has turned into an annual affair, it has lost its appeal. It is more or less the same books I find every year. I was looking for some books in Sanskrit but was disappointed to see that only two stalls at the fair,” Ved Prakash Mishra, a businessman, pointed out.

However, for some visitors, the regional stalls were quite a relief. For Shinjini Ghosh who came from Noida, the book fair gave her the chance to flip through the pages of some Bengali books.

“I don’t get a chance to visit Kolkata very frequently and neither do I stay at CR Park. So here I came across books written by some of my favourite authors,” she mentioned before buying a copy of Satyajit Ray’s “Feluda”.

The 26th World Book Fair at Pragati Maidan and organised by the National Book Trust (NBT) in association with ITPO, will end on January 14.

(Somrita Ghosh can be contacted at [email protected])

–IANS
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Health

These three drinks can be a blessing for your gas and acidity problems

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ily foods, spicy dishes, fried fares… Done it all and regretting it? If you’re suffering from acid reflux, you probably know what to eat and what to avoid. But is there anything to relieve you from such digestive issues? Well, there are certain drinks for acidity to improve your digestive health, if you consume them regularly.

Ready to find out? Let’s go!

In an Instagram video, nutritionist and health coach Neha Ranglani has suggested that to calm your acid reflux, you need to help your food get digested well. This can be done by improving your stomach acid production and healing your stomach cells. And these drinks that she has suggested, can help with just that, allowing you to digest your food well without the burn.

Here are 6 drinks for acidity:

1. Cucumber juice

Cucumber is a favourite salad ingredient in summer because of its cooling properties. Consuming cucumber juice can be really beneficial for relievingacid reflux because it is highly nutritious as it provides your body with both fibre and water which is needed for better digestion and has a low calorie volume. What’s more? It can also keep you full and help you avoid reaching out to junk foods!

2. Lemon water

Lemon can do you a world of good! Being rich in vitamin C and B and minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium—drinking lemon water regularly will not only help you burn fat but will resolve your digestive issues such as acidity. Moreover, lemon water contains laxative properties that can help improve your bowel movements and clear toxins from the body, keeping you hydrated.

3. Ginger water

Ginger aka adrak, is a very well known ingredient that has been used for ages to help relieve acidity and gas. Also, if you are facing digestive issues due to overeating or undigested food, consuming ginger water can help in emptying your stomach. You can also consume it by adding it to soups, subzi or curry, and even tea. Remember that you’re not allowed to consume ginger in excess amounts.

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