Along the sidewalks at Daryaganj, scores of hawkers with makeshift kiosks are selling second hand books ranging from dictionaries, novels to old magazines. One can even find a copy or two of the 1988 edition of the Constitution of India lying around in the weekly market that assembles every Sunday.
However, kiosks selling books for school-going children are seen to have the maximum buzz. From history textbooks meant for middle-school students to physics textbooks for board exams, one could find books with names and some doodles etched on them by the previous owners.
A matter of luck
For Anil Kumar Pant and his two brothers Lalitmohan and Basudeva, residents of Mayur Vihar Phase-I, keeping the business going is important to keep the large family running.
“We buy the books directly from companies at discounted rates and then get it here. During the rest of the week we have a wholesale business where we move around and set up kiosks in places like Connaught Place. On better days we make an income of ₹25,000 from the Sunday market itself,” says Mr. Pant while adding that the business has helped the children in the family to pursue higher studies and be “well-settled”.
One can see a regular flow of customers at Rakesh Kumar’s kiosk that mostly has books for cracking competitive exams.
While some customers looking for novels are turned away, the 54-year-old explains, “Currently, I only have books for competitive exams but the range is varied. The collection, however, depends on what the kabadi-walas sell us. We all have contacts who inform us when there are books available. It is easier for students to come here and buy the books at cheaper rates.”
However, Mr. Kumar, a native of Bihar rues, “There is no fixed income as each week is different and luck does not favour us unlike the old-timers who are here. At times it becomes difficult for the family.”
Srikrishna Gupta, a native of Haryana and currently residing near the Tigri border, says that his kiosk has been there since 1981. “When I came here first, the market was not fully occupied, and now it is buzzing. Now, my sons help me out with the business and there are days when the grandsons accompany as well. It will be the third generation in our family who will occupy this spot when I retire,” he says.
Adding that the father-son duo arrives at the market by 7 a.m., Mr. Gupta adds, “We are ziddi (stubborn) people and don’t want to work for others by doing menial jobs. It is important that we have our own income with which we can run the family.”
Trade tricks
Forty seven-year-old Anant Kumar, says that he learnt the trade while accompanying his elder brother to the market and for the last two decades he has been a regular to the market. “My collection ranges from encyclopaedias to dictionaries and are mostly from publishers based abroad. “While income is not very consistent, there are times when less privileged children come and pick up books. The happiness derived from that is unparalleled,” says the resident of Bhajanpura.
The steady stream of customers range from school-going children, accompanied by parents to working professionals looking to collect limited edition books.
“This place holds some hidden treasures among the sea of old textbooks. Some of the books had come from collections up to 70 years old and finding the faded inscriptions and dedications from a time gone by, was a great experience,” says Waled Adnan, a first timer at the market.
