sign in sign up
<<
Home , World Book Capital

Annual Subscription Rs 5.00; 50 paise per copy February 2019 • Vol 37 No. 2

Contents World Fair 2019

New Delhi World Book Fair 2019 1-3 Understanding the Differently Abled 3-4 Showcasing 5 Literary Representations of the Disabled 6 Microsoft Accessibility Experience Booth 6 and culture are inseparable. The and even with his busy schedule, he finds CEOSpeak 7 “world of books is unique. Books have time to read books. their own fragrance and to appreciate it, “With growing presence of Kindle Obituary 8 we need to read books,” said Shri Prakash and audio books,” Shri Javadekar Javadekar, Minister of Human Resource observed, “the number of people who read Development while inaugurating the 27th printed books, has not diminished and the Pick of the Month of New Delhi World Book Fair at number is only increasing day by day.” Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on 5 January He said, “This year the theme of the 2019. He said that is an integral Fair is ‘Books for Readers with Special part of Indian culture. Needs’, and during the Fair several literary He expressed his happiness for Sharjah and cultural activities will be organised.” being the Guest of Honour at the Fair. He He further said last year more than 12 lakh said that more than two million Indians booklovers visited the Fair which shows have made UAE as their home which that the culture of reading is increasing. shows that the cultural ties between the At being the Guest of Honour at New two countries have grown over the years. Delhi World Book Fair, Sheikh Fahim Bin He also said that the real friendship and Sultan Al Qasimi, Executive Chairman real partnership between and UAE is of the Department of Government exhibited through this joint effort. Relations, Sharjah, said, “We are excited Emphasising on the importance of today to turn this opportunity into a reading, Shri Javadekar said, “Reading 50 memorable cultural event.” He also said pages of a book every day brings new ideas, that book fairs are essential platforms imagination, and dimensions in life.” He that allow us to share our intellectual remarked that our Prime Minister Shri property and to learn from cultures and Vivekananda in the Himalayas Narendra Modi has a great love for books strengthening relations. He said, “As a Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ Chetana Pokhriyal (Tr.) 978-81-231-8726-8; Rs 220 FEBRUARY 2019 NBT NEWSLETTER 1 member of Executive Council of Emirate said that here in India, people of different books in over 20 Indian languages at the of Sharjah, the body which translates the languages, cultures, intellectual movements Fair. He remarked that booklovers wait vision of His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin and faiths get equal opportunities and for the New Delhi World Book Fair for a Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, I come together to form India’s diverse and year to look for those books which are not am honoured to be here today to celebrate vibrant social cultural fabric. easily available. another significant milestone. We are all Welcoming the guests, Prof. Baldeo Later, Shri Prakash Javadekar also here today at New Delhi World Book Fair, Bhai Sharma, Chairman, NBT said that presented a copy of book, Exam Warriors, a major calendar event in the cultural and though technology has become an integral authored by Prime Minister Shri Narendra world.” part of our life, but printed books are very Modi to the guests from Sharjah. “India is UAE’s long standing close to Indian readers. The number of During the inaugural function, partner and continues to be on economic, people visiting the book fair, shows that NBT Calendar 2019 based on the theme scientific, educational and cultural front,” books still attract readers. He also talked ‘Readers with Special Needs’, the Hindi remarked Mr Fahim, and occasions such about the diverse nature of publishing and English editions of the book Bibi as these are necessary to foster stronger programme of National Book Trust, India. Fatima and Her Sons, authored by H H relations, he added. He said that NBT publishes books in over Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, Ruler Mr Fahim said that we have a long 40 major and minor languages for readers of Sharjah and published by NBT, and standing history of trade and cultural of all age groups. He hoped that the catalogue of Braille books published by exchange which lasted hundreds of years. booklovers will get an opportunity to read NBT were also released. “I often think about that While proposing vote of time when spices and other thanks, Dr Rita Chowdhury, materials left India to arrive Director, NBT said, “Across at the shores of Gulf. I think societies, we all worship of the words that may have words in some way or the been written and exchanged other. And wherever the at the inception of our words are worshipped, cultural relations.” it becomes the place of Appreciating India’s worship. Here, the only unity in diversity, Mr Fahim ritual is reading. It brings

2 NBT NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2019 all together: men or women, National Anthem in sign children or elderly, students language along with disabled or professionals. She also children. Earlier, welcome thanked Sharjah for being song was presented by the the Guest of Honour at the differently abled children of Fair, All India Confederation Alpana, an NGO. of Blind, ITPO, Delhi Police, Later, Shri Prakash Kailash hospital, media and Javadekar, Sheikh Fahim banks for their support. Bin Sultan Qasimi and other Mr Ahmad bin Rakkad dignitaries inaugurated the Al Ameri, Chairman, Sharjah Theme Pavilion and the Book Authority; Shri J L Foreign Pavilion. Kaul, Padma Shri awardee With the special focus and Secretary General, on ‘Books for Readers with All India Confederation Special Needs’, the Theme of the Blind; Mr Habib Pavilion hosted a number of Youseff Abdallah Al Sayegh, Authors’ programmes and discussions on various representative from Sharjah; Shri R. issues concerning readers with sight or Subrahmanyam, Secretary, Ministry of ear impairment, differently abled, autistic Human Resource Development and Shri kids, children with ADHD, behavioural Deepak Kumar, Executive Director, ITPO problems, etc. A Film Festival focussing were felicited on the occasion. on disability was also organised at the One of the important features of Pavilion. the inaugural function this year was the The Sharjah Pavilion, specially interpretation of the proceedings in sign designed for the Guest of Honour Country language. and the Events Corner at the Foreign The programme concluded with the directed by Govind Nihalini in which Shri Pavilion also hosted a number of literary screening of a video of National Anthem, Amitabh Bachchan, noted actor performed and cultural programmes. Understanding the Differently Abled There is no greater disability he read and wrote works like “in society than the inability Ashtavakra Gita. He is known to see a person as more,” said for his wisdom and spiritual Robert M. Hensel, Guinness & knowledge. This painting Ripley’s world record holder for by Shreekant Dubey was a the longest non-stop wheelie in combination of high-contrast a wheelchair, covering a total earthly colours. distance of 6.178 miles. The walls of the Pavilion This year, the theme were decorated with the panels presentation of the New Delhi and posters of well-known World Book Fair was focused differently abled celebrities on ‘Books for Readers with like Stephen Hawkings Special Needs,’ especially who are known for their children, with emphasis on extraordinary achievements. their reading needs. It was Their achievements bring projected to carry out the idea of Inclusive to light the fact as Martina Navratilova Learning, and explore various issues and said, “Disability is a matter of perception. dimensions of creating, producing and If you can do just one thing well, you’re disseminating content for readers. needed by someone.” Besides there were A portrait of Ashtavakra, great Indian panels of books on and for persons with sage of Vedic times, greeted the visitors special needs, panels defining disorders as soon as they entered the Pavilion. It is like autism, etc. believed that eight of his body parts were An exhibition of artworks made by deformed. Overcoming this deformity, talented artists with disabilities was put

FEBRUARY 2019 NBT NEWSLETTER 3 up by ‘Family of Disabled,’ at the English and other Indian languages Pavilion. The paintings in black and have been published. Some of white or colour with pen, pencil or these books were also the part of pastels were aesthetically pleasant. the exhibition. A catalogue of these These paintings had been drawn by books has also been brought out by both veteran and young artists like NBT. R Venkatesh, Santanu Bhattacharya, One of the major highlights of the Imamuddin, Sanjana Nagpal, theme presentation was International Thakare Naik among others. Besides, Disability Film Festival. For the first there was an exhibition of paintings time, an International Disability by visually-impaired children of Film Festival was organized at the Inside Me, an NGO working for the New Delhi World Book Fair, where welfare of visually impaired children. over 50 documentaries from 27 The colours in the paintings illustrated the countries were being screened daily during fact that these children also love to draw the Fair. Organised by UNESCO and We and feel different colours of life. Care, the documentaries brought to light The tools and instruments used by the many socio-economic challenges faced visually impaired persons like geometry by the differently-abled people and their kits, Braille slates, orbit reader, signature efforts to overcome their disability and be guide, typed arithmetic frame, Perkins independent. Brailler were also part of the exhibition Lively conversations, discussions, by All India Confederation of Blind. and engage in games with their sighted seminars and other literary and cultural Besides, there was a display of inclusive counterparts. programmes were organised at the Pavilion. education products by Inklude like books Over 500 books including Braille Some of the well-known speakers in these for small children and games. These books, audio books, silent books, tactile programmes included Prof. G N Karna, products creatively integrate custom- books, integrated print-braille books, Rajinder Singh (paralympian and Arjuna made transparent Braille and tactile shapes books for differently-abled, children awardee), Manpreet Kaur, Parvinder printed along with sighted text, shapes and with sight or ear impairment, autistic Singh, Swarna Raj, artists including Sonal images. These materials enable all readers, kids, children/readers with ADHD, Mansingh, Atul Satya Kaushik (theatre) irrespective of the level of impairment, to behavioural/psychological problems/ and Bant Singh Jhabbar (singer) and comprehend the same piece of information anxieties were displayed at the Pavilion. among others. A special catalogue of books based on the theme was also brought out in which details regarding the books of different publishers displayed at the Pavilion was provided. National Book Trust, India in collaboration with All India Confederation of Blind (AICB) have jointly published a set of books in Braille for visually impaired readers. So far, over 250 books in Hindi,

4 NBT NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2019 Showcasing Sharjah harjah was the Guest of showcased some of the finest SHonour country at the Fair. artists from Iraq, Turkey, Syria, The Sharjah Pavilion at Hall Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. The No 7E attracted a steady stream art works held the discerning of visitors. The aesthetically visitors in thrall. designed pavilion introduced Books displayed at the the visitors to the region’s folk Pavilion gave an insight into music, traditional musical Emerati writings. Whether instruments, calligraphy, art and it is children books, short artifacts, traditional costumes fictions, or academic books— and of course books. Also, the flair and finesse of Emirates the pavilion was a one-stop Publishing Industry was solution for publishers looking conspicuous everywhere. A for information on world’s scholar of repute, His Highness third largest book fair, Sharjah Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Book Fair; for quality translators looking Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah’s works for generous funding to get their works found a prominent place at the Pavilion. published; and for students and researchers The four volumes of his widely acclaimed looking for information on Emirates’ autobiography viz., My Early Life, Taking history, politics, culture and literature. the Reign 1971-1977, The Consolidation Calligraphy, or Khatt as is known Years 1979-1987 and Culture, Education in Arabic, is an artistic practice of and Change 1987-2004 were on display handwriting. At the Sharjah Pavilion one along with many of his other books on a could see the live demonstration of the art. variety of subjects. It is worth mentioning Arabic has had a long history of that Hindi versions of the His Highness’s translating works from other languages Autobiography were also on display. into Arabic. Also, many Arabic works have Named as World Book Capital for been translated into Indian languages. As the year 2019 by UNESCO, Sharjah many as 57 books translated from Arabic has been on the news for the Knowledge into Hindi on a wide range of subjects without Borders (KwB), a unique concept were on display at the Pavilion. dedicated to fostering a love of reading Publishers seeking exponential growth among the community by establishing in their business visited Sharjah Publishing it lucrative for publishers. Besides, those a in each Emirati household. City corner at the Pavilion. Setting up of who were looking for access to the huge Each household was provided a selection offshore offices in a tax free environment African, Asian, European and Middle of 50 valuable books in Arabic. The with provisions of exemption from all Eastern markets, came to Sharjah Pavilion initiative has benefited more than 42,000 commercial levies, repatriation of capital to understand what Sharjah Publishing Emirati families. The Guest of Honour and profits, 100% business ownership City is all about. presentation by Sharjah at the Fair was an and zero restrictions on economical wage For those who have an eye for important milestone in strengthening the structures for expatriate workers, make modern and abstract art, Sharjah Pavilion ties between India and the Emirates.

FEBRUARY 2019 NBT NEWSLETTER 5 Literary Representations of the Disabled he very idea of ‘disability’ is a Tstate of mind. Often a social construct, it is also problematic, in Camus’ The First Man; bringing the sense of being seen as a deficit or readers into an autistic mind in as difference. For long historically, the the memoir of 26 years old Naoki perception of physical impairment Higashida; Christopher Boone, as a sign of ‘badness’ was prevalent. a boy with autism who sets out to The disabled have been subjected to solve the murder of a neighbour’s alienation and isolation. Writings dog in Mark Haddon’s The Curious have often reported ignorance and Case of the Dog in the Night. absurdity, like those with disabilities In children’s literature, though were the result of sins of their parents historically infrequent, the portrayal or for their businesses with devils. of disability or disabled children are In our epics the portrayal of Cutting across genres, novels, non- far and few in between. But those Dhritarashtra, the blind king and father fiction, drama as well as disability studies, portrayed made sense of disability as a of Kauravas as also Shakuni with a bodily one can see an altered sense of perception, consequence of a wrongdoing. deformation in Mahabharata, or that of in the portrayal of the disabled with a Today in India, children’s book Manthara in Ramayana have shades of evil strong empathy. Brit or Brittle Bones publishers, have taken a lead to feature the in them. Disabled gods and mythological in Trying to Grow by Firdaus Kanga; the disabled portraying them with empathy characters are often eschewed and justified autistic Baba in Clear Light of Day by and sensitivity. Catch the Cat by Tharini in the name of sins they committed in Anita Desai; Parkinson affected Nariman Vishwanath; A Helping Hand by Payal their previous births. in Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry; Dhar; Flute in the Forest by Leela Gaur Over the years many of such the deaf and mute John Singer in Carson Broome; Manya Learns to Roar by Shruti perceptions gave way to a certain McCuller’s The Heart is a Lonely Hunter; Rao; Abba’s Day by Sunaina Ali; Unbroken understanding and kinder responses. Chief Bronden in Ken Kesey’s One Flew by Nandhita Nambi; Why are you Afraid to Literature has played a major role in this Over the Cuckoo’s Net; in Blindness, Jose Hold My Hand? by Sheila Dhir are some altered perceptions toward disability. It Saramago, uses the disability as a metaphor of the books. may be difficult to enter into the skin of to tell the story of human ideals, tragedy Besides, disability courses and the disabled, but a better understanding and triumph; Lucie, the partially deaf and academic works like Alice Hall’s Literature of their lives can be brought about not mute mother and Etienne the deaf and and Disability which introduces the readers by generating sympathy but only through partially mute uncle of the protagonist to the field of disability have enriched our empathy. in the autobiographical account of Albert understanding on the subject. Microsoft Accessibility Experience Booth ver the last few years, there has been helps persons with mobility disorder to Osignificant advances in technology. control the computer with their eyes and Several software, features and tools and they can even type the words with the techniques have been developed to help movement of their eyes only. persons with special needs to read and For persons with visual disability, write as well. To enlighten visitors on there was a ‘ SeeingAl’ application and the recent developments, there was the ‘Edge,’ a web browser, through which they ‘Microsoft Accessibility Experience Booth’ can hear printed books as well as . at the Theme Pavilion. Similarly, visually-impaired people can “Considering the relevance of this use dictation feature of Microsoft office year’s Theme, Microsoft has put up a or virtual assistant to type words. For Booth at the Theme Pavilion,” said Shri people who cannot hear, the Presentation Balendu Sharma, Director, Localization The booth, divided into four sections, Translator types the words spoken by the and Accessibility, Microsoft. He added focussed on different kinds of disabilities presenters on the screen, which they can that we wish to connect with readers, viz. visual disability, hearing impairment, read easily. authors and publishers at the Fair and physical disability and cognitive disability. The visitors were very excited to learn inform them that such tools are part of the One of the most interesting features at about these tools and had a hands-on operating system and are easily available. the booth was ‘Eye Control’. This feature experience.

6 FEBRUARY 2019 CEOSpeak he signature event Mr. Dilip Chenoy, Torganised on the Secretary General, FICCI, sidelines of New Delhi said that India was the second- World Book Fair, CEOSpeak largest English language print over Chairman’s Breakfast, book publisher in the world. in its seventh edition, by The Indian book market National Book Trust, India is $4.6 billion, growing at in association with FICCI, the rate of 20%. The UAE hosted the first-ever an India- accounts for 37% of India’s Emirati Publishing Forum total books exports to the at the Hotel Ashoka on 6 Arab World. India’s books & January 2019 in conjunction printed products exports to with the Guest of Honour the Arab World grew 13% Presentation of Sharjah at the Fair. H.E. world for publishing and is a gateway to annually (CAGR) from 2000 to 2015. Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, reach out to third countries, he added. He In his presentation, Mr. Vikrant Executive Chairman of the Department said that while shipping of goods from Mathur, Director India & Asia Pacific of Government Relations, Sharjah was India to the Arab world took 60 days, the Nielsen Book, said that the vernacular present on the occasion as a Distinguished time taken from Sharjah was a mere two trade books accounted for 44% of the Guest. weeks. market and English trade books 56%. He Welcoming a 125+ strong Mr. Ali Al Shaali, Vice President, said that within English trade books, the congregation of CEOs, MDs, Senior Emirates Publishers Association & CEO highest contribution was that of Adult Publishing Professionals of India, Alhudhud Publishing House, said that the Non-Fiction at 45%, followed by Adult Emirates, and also from China, France, Indian publishing industry could benefit Fiction (30%) and Children (25%). Hindi , Sri Lanka etc, Prof. Baldeo Bhai from strengthened cooperation with the contributes maximum (35%) followed by Sharma, Chairman, NBT, said that India’s UAE and Arab World. The potential areas Malayalam (9%) and Bengali (8%). relations with the UAE were age-old and of opportunity are: Foreign rights and A panel discussion on ‘India-Emirati through the World Book Fair, NBT was licensing support programs to facilitate Co-operation in Publishing’ was also striving to strengthen these bonds. NBT, the buying and selling of translation and held. Moderated by Shri Ratnesh Jha, he said, inculcates good reading habits and distribution rights between UAE and MD, Cambridge University Press, the it is working closely with publishers and Indian publishers at book fairs in India; participants included Ms. Sayoni Basu, authors to strengthen reading culture in Grants and awards programs specifically Ms. Atiya Zaidi, and Mr. Ravi Dee Cee the country. focused on translation of titles from from India; and Mr. Ali Al Shaali, and Mr. In his key-note address, Mr. Ahmed Indian languages into Arabic and vice Tamer Al Sayed, MD, Kalimat Publishing Al Ameri, Chairman, Sharjah Book versa; Business matching support for from the Emirates. Authority, invited Indian publishers to Emirati and Arab publishers interested On behalf of NBT, Shri Kumar take advantage of the low logistical costs in market opportunities to engage with Vikram, Editor & Project In-charge made offered by Sharjah publishing city. Stating Indian publishers as well as establish more the closing remarks. The programme was that Sharjah was the first free zone in the permanent market presences. anchored by Shri Sumit Gupta, FICCI.

NBT NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2019 NBT NEWSLETTER 7 Obituary RNI-39456/82 minent historian Sabyasachi Bhattacharya Postal Regd. No. DL-SW-1-4076/2018-20 Epassed away on 7 January 2019. He Licenced to post without prepayment. was 81. Dr Bhattacharya was Professor of L.No. U(SW)21/2018-20 History at Jawaharlal Nehru University; Vice Mailing date: 5/6 Same Month Chancellor of Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan; Date of Publication: 01/02/2019 Chairman of the Indian Council for Historical Research; and Chairman of the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta. He also held teaching and research positions at St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford; University of Chicago and El Colegio de . In 2011, he was awarded Rabindra Puraskar and D.Litt from Jadavpur University (2016). Dr Sabyasachi had made remarkable contribution in fields of economic history of India, especially under British rule and history of culture of India. He was the General Editor of Towards Freedom series of volumes documenting the last decade of the struggle for independence in India. He compiled three-volumes of Comprehensive History of Modern Bengal, 1700-1950 in collaboration with sixty-five renowned historians under the aegis of the Asiatic Society, Kolkata. His other works include Talking Back: The Idea of Civilization in the Indian Nationalist Discourse, Vande Mataram: A Biography of a Song (2013), The Defining Moments in Bengal 1920-1947 and The Colonial State: Theory and Practice. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya was closely associated with NBT in many advisory capacities. He is also author of books including The Mahatma and the Poet: Letters and Debates between Gandhi and Hamsdhwani Theatre at the Pragati Maidan came alive in the Tagore and Buddha for the Young, published by NBT in English, evenings with cultural presentations like Folk Songs, Music & Hindi and other Indian languages. Dance, Magic show etc during the World Book Fair.

NBT Newsletter is the house magazine of the National On India Government Service Book Trust, India — an autonomous organisation of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education, Government of India.

The views expressed in the signed articles do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Trust.

Editor: Binny Kurian Editorial Associate: Surekha Sachdeva Production Officer: Narender Kumar

National Book Trust, India Nehru Bhawan, 5 Institutional Area, Vasant Kunj, Phase-II New Delhi-110 070 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.nbtindia.gov.in Readers are requested to write to the editor expressing their views about the NEWSLETTER.

Printed and published by Satish Kumar on behalf of National Book Trust, India and printed at Aravali Printers and Publishers Pvt. Ltd., W-30 Phase-II, Okhla Industrial Area, New Delhi-110020, and published at National Book Trust, India, Nehru Bhawan, 5 Institutional Area, Phase-II, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi-110070. Editor: Binny Kurian.

Typeset and designed at Capital Creations, Subhram Complex, If undelivered please return to: Munirka, New Delhi-110 067. National Book Trust, India, Nehru Bhawan, 5 Institutional Area, Phase-II, New Delhi - 110 070

8 NBT NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2019