Shillong: Jaswant Singh controversial book
`Jinnah - India, Partition, Independence` is a sell-out at
the ongoing Shillong Book Fair and many buyers unable to
procure a copy are returning disheartened.
``We have completely exhausted all copies of the book. The
few copies that we had brought to the Fair have sold like hot
cakes and we have placed orders for more due to the public
demand,`` said a bookseller at the fair, which is organized by
National Book Trust.
``The high demand for the book will definitely make
Jaswant Singh even richer, though his party (BJP) has disowned
him. Now if you want to get this book for yourself then please
place your order on time," said yet another book seller in a
lighter vein.
There is insufficient availability of the book as the
demand for it soared following the controversy, says Sujit
Majumdar, a book seller at the fair which has been organized
in collaboration with the Directorate of Art and Culture of
the Meghalaya government.
Interestingly though English copies of the book are flying
off the shelf, there have been absolutely no takers for its
Hindi version.
"People here do not read Hindi, they mostly go for
English books," said a book stall owner, who could sell none
of the books in the Hindi version.
Altogether 110 book stalls have been set up at the book
fair by 50 publishers from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, West
Bengal and Assam, besides those from Meghlaya.
Bureau Report
