Letter to BS: Lockdown has been a dark chapter for publishers, booksellers

This refers to “A new chapter on survival for booksellers, publishers” (June 9) The report made for an interesting read. It may be correct that the publishers and booksellers may be able to survive by switching over to the format of reading and reaching out to prospective readers. However, it is school textbook publishers and booksellers whose survival has not been seriously given a thought by the government while announcing the package. The supplies by school textbook publishers starts in February and continues until June/July by when most of the schools would re-open. As re-opening of the schools remains uncertain, only few well-resourced textbook publishers are able to manage supplying online materials to students. There are millions of children who still have no access to online classes and they have not been able to get the textbooks they need either from the National Council of Educational Research and Training or the private publishers as the school remain closed indefinitely. Even if the textbook publishers manage to supply books as and when the schools re-open, they would be unable to get dues from the school and their book sellers. I don’t know whether the government would come to their rescue. It is time for the media to find out the present condition of textbook publishers and booksellers. 

N Nagarajan  Secunderabad

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