National
Delhi’s Daryaganj book market reopens after 5 weeks
Nivedita Singh
New Delhi, Feb 4 (IANS) Finally the wait is over for both book vendors as well as book lovers. Delhi’s famous weekly market in old city Daryaganj opened after five weeks on Sunday — albeit truncated to half its size.
The North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) only gave permission to set up shops between Golcha cinema and Delight cinema. The civic body did not allow any shops on the Daryaganj over-bridge due to which more than 50 people were not allowed to set up their makeshift shops.
The market, which earlier used to be more than 2-km long, on Sunday was functioning in around only a 1-km area.
Just like several other book vendors, Dhuv Narayan Gupta had also brought books to sell in the market, but returned disappointed.
Gupta, who has been setting up his shop in the market for the past 27 years, told IANS: “We were happy. I brought books for sale. It has been five weeks of no business, I have a family to look after. I thought the struggle will come to an end, but we were not allowed to set up the shops.”
The father of four said he even started working as a labourer at construction sites to make ends meet during the period when the market was closed for five Sundays in a row. Every year, the civic body orders the closure of the makeshift market on the Sunday before Republic Day (Jan 26) and Independence Day (Aug 15) but this year it happened much earlier.
“I was a proud shopkeeper till a few weeks back, but now I am forced to do things for survival,” Gupta said, adding two of his kids were in school.
“The school (authorities) will not understand that I am not getting the permission for my shop. I want my children to study… I can’t see that happening.”
Gupta and another bookseller Manish Kapoor, like dozens of other vendors, used to set up their shops outside the Golcha-Delight stretch.
Kapoor, who is the sole earner of his five-member family, told IANS: “I did not set up the shop as I was scared that NDMC people will take my things with them. I am not able to make any money and so I am not able to pay anything to my co-workers. We are not able to run our house. I am not able to pay my children’s tuition fee.”
But others who could return to their weekly business were elated.
“We are happy that after their (civic body) actions only booksellers were allowed in the market and no other clothes or shoe sellers were allowed. However, many of us are sad as they were not allowed to set up the shops. We will go and meet the civic body people on Monday and will request them to consider our problem,” Qamar Saeed, President, Daryaganj Patri Sunday Book Bazar Welfare Association, told IANS.
On their level, shopkeepers tried to help each other by reducing their shop sizes and also allowed other booksellers to sit nearby. However, they feel the authorities can do this in a better manner.
“If they fix size for each shop, we all can fit in small spaces. We only can request each other to help fellow booksellers, but authorities, by fixing the space, can do this in a better manner,” Saeed said.
Although there was uncertainty over the market, the book lovers came in a good number looking for their favourite books.
“We did not expect this much as people were not sure about the market. I hope next week more people will come as the news will reach them,” Saeed said.
( can be contacted at [email protected])
–IANS
nks/sar/bg
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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