Delhi: Book bazaar reopens, but time not on vendors’ side

NEW DELHI: With neat parallel lines of plastic strings separating vendors and customers, and six-foot distance between heaps of books and social-distancing circles, the iconic Sunday book bazaar reopened on Sunday after a gap of more than five months. But the usual hustle and bustle was missing.
Shivam Giri (22), one of the first few visitors, said he was feeling nostalgic about the market. “I am happy that it has reopened. I have come all the way from Dwarka to buy some competitive exam books, which are cheaper here,” he said.
Dharmender Yadav, another visitor who was looking for books for IIT entrance, said the market should open in morning. “We have come on our bike. It is good that the market has been reopened, but timings should be adjusted keeping in mind its nature,” Yadav said.
Although the municipal corporation had permitted 90 vendors — almost half of the original number, only 60 could set up their shops on Sunday. The market started around 4pm and in three hours, just 15 vendors were left after the sunset. The market is to stay open till 10pm.
Asharfilal Varma, vice-president of Daryaganj Sunday Book Bazar Patri Welfare Association, said the poor footfall was mainly due to the odd timings. “Throughout its 50-year existence, the market has always been held in mornings. Unlike other weekly markets, we sell books, not vegetables and groceries. Mostly students and youngsters come here. Why will people come to Mahila Haat to buy books between 4pm and 10pm,” the 61-year-old wondered.
The association has demanded they should be allowed to put up stalls for six hours in the morning. The association has worked out a system under which 90 vendors will set up shops on an alternate week basis.
Kamar Saeed, the president of the association, said the market wrapped up three hours before the deadline. “At Daryaganj, the market used to see 20,000-25,000 footfall. Even after relocating to Mahila Haat last year, 5,000-6,000 visitors came. Today there were just 400-odd customers,” Saeed said.
“How will we return home after 10-11pm?” asked Nasim Ahmed, a vendor. Ravi Shankar Sharma (45), another vendor who came from Sonia Vihar, said he could not sell a single book after bringing books at his own cost. “Students, women and girls frequent our market and the timing is not right,” he said. “I appeal to the administration to allow us to work for the same number of hours in the morning,” he added.