Occupation: Roadside book vendor
It was a few days ago that this non-descript wayside book shop of mine at Statue saw a book release. A group of friends and well-wishers had brought out a book on my shop and it was released by CPI leader Panniyan Ravindran. It was a great moment and I am happy that though my outlet is not housed in a building, my place has an address of its own.
It is the result of the goodwill and clientele I have built up over the years. My father, late Krishnan Nair, who used to be a newspaper agent, had started this stall 40 years ago and I started helping him as a young boy. In fact, I stopped going to school after my class nine because my father was finding it difficult to manage it on his own. I have been running it for the last 20 years now.
Times have changed, so too the reading habit of people. I haven’t counted the number of publications I sell, but it is definitely much higher than what we used to stock when my father used to run it.
The Hindu continues to be the highest selling English daily at my outlet. Current affairs magazines continue to be widely read. Politics and cinema are all-time favourite topics for many readers. Automobile magazines are growing in number, then there are magazines on astrology that have many buyers now. Travel magazines, periodicals for those preparing for competitive examinations and children’s magazines too have many buyers. While publications such as Kumkumam and Kerala Shabdam continue to be sold, magazines such as Science Reporter and Science Today are no longer available.
My stall stocks Tamil publications for which I have a regular clientele. The handful of Hindi publications in my shop are usually bought by the North Indian community, especially the armed forces personnel. I do read some magazines when I get time. I enjoy reading comics and film magazines.
I open the stall by 5 a.m., there are many regular buyers for newspapers. Minister V. S. Sivakumar is one among them. And I close shop by 9.30 p.m.
Earlier I used to keep the books inside a shop at Statue. But after I was asked to vacate the place, I take the books to my home near Statue in a car. This place is open on all days and when I am not around, Rajan, who has been working with me for the last eight years, manages it.
The protest marches at Statue, some of which turn violent, do affect my business. When there is a scuffle between the police and protestors, I cover the books with a plastic sheet and sit there. I can’t run away, right? There have been instances when people push the books while running away. The rainy season is also a tough time for me.
However, on the whole, this job has given me a lot of satisfaction. I am able to interact with people from all walks of life.
I am 48 now and earn enough to support my family comprising wife, Manju, and children, Krishna and Krishanth.
People ask me whether I regret running a shop by the roadside. If I try I might get a building to run the business, but then I will have to move out of this place and that will badly affect the business.
Even though established book houses have their stores close by, I am not worried because they have their share of customers and I have mine. My strength is my customers.
(A weekly column on men and women who make Thiruvananthapuram what it is)
