Mumbai bookseller urges for increased government aid to roadside sellers

Like many others, Joginder Yadav came to Mumbai from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh when he was 16 years old to make a living. Initially, he sold channa along Marine Drive but soon realised that the income was insufficient to sustain his livelihood, especially with the responsibility of supporting his family. Roaming the streets of Churchgate at that time, he observed many booksellers who were selling books along the roadside. He explains, "One day, I saw an uneducated man from my village screaming and selling international books for Rs 2. So, I thought this was a good business. It was much more than what I was earning from selling channa, promoting me to switch and start selling books obtained from the raddiwala (scrap dealers)."

Hardly having studied till the first grade and being new to the business, Yadav had to work really hard over the years to learn the tricks of trade - where to source the books, which books work and which don't, and everything else. "Sometimes when the stock of books was not good or torn, I had to go back to selling channa few times a day to sustain my livelihood," adds the 53-year-old, who came in Mumbai in 1986. It has been 38 years since. Yadav's bookstall, which has close to 1,000 books now, is a permanent fixture behind the bus stop as soon as you get off the subway at Churchgate station on the other side of the road.

From selling channa to books
It is a prime spot especially for roadside stall owners because it sees a lot of footfalls throughout the day. So, how did he chance upon the spot? Yadav shares, "I put up a stall back then when it was empty and there were not too many people as there are today. Since most offices also were in Nariman Point then compared to now, a lot of people going to work used to stop by and buy books from me." Understandably Yadav's stall is very busy with people of all ages, who come not only to pick up all kinds of fiction and non-fiction books but also on subjects like law and engineering too.

Interestingly, over the years, he has not only noticed the kinds of readers changing but also the kinds of books available, as nowadays lighter reads are a lot more in demand than other kinds of books. The city bookseller, who sells his books for Rs 100 - Rs 150, has seen a lot more children come to his stall than adults, which is a huge change in the last three decades. "Earlier, readers used to be different as their mannerisms were different and they used to soak in whatever they have read. However, today I don't see that anymore as most children just read and forget what they have read. Earlier, people used to feel proud of carrying a book in their hand, but today it has changed."

Yadav says earlier people were also much nicer to roadside booksellers and they used to form a close bond, almost like a family. "They used to ask about us and our personal lives, and if we are able to manage expenses for the family. However, today's customers are very different because they haggle a little too much for a book just to reduce Rs 10. Unfortunately, today even the well-educated behave like uneducated people as they don't talk to us properly or give us any respect, nor help us in any way," he adds.

Hoping for change
Despite establishing himself in the bookselling business and considering Mumbai his home, Yadav, a resident of Mahim, has reservations about involving his 27-year-old son in his footpath business. He cites concerns about the challenges of street-smart navigation, interactions with Mumbai Police and municipal authorities, and the diminishing respect for roadside vendors. He prefers to shield his son from such experiences. When he isn't at the bookstall, the Uttar Pradesh native's nephew runs it. The Covid-19 pandemic wasn't easy either as the business had to shut down, but he was somehow able to manage it. While his son is a mechanical engineer and currently unemployed, the Mumbaikar wants the youth to start his own business to earn money instead of getting stuck in the corporate rat race.

Over the years, Yadav has faced a lot of challenges and difficulties. It is also why he reminds that people should realise that books business is not like any other, and the bookstall is not like any other stall, and still, many booksellers like him have to deal with a lot of difficulty while dealing with officials. "If there are vada pav stalls and roadside shoe stalls, and if we just sell books for Rs 100, then what is the problem? I have applied for licence in 2014 but still haven't received it," he shares.

However, it doesn't fare well for people like him, who are often at the receiving end. He opines that if needed, booksellers can pay rent, but being subject to bribes doesn't solve the purpose and neither helps him nor the government. Yadav urges the government to find a solution to help roadside booksellers and highlights that if newspaper vendors are given the licence, then booksellers can be considered. In fact, during lockdown, Yadav says he received Rs 10,000 like every other hawker in the city as a loan.

If that isn't convincing enough, Yadav says time and experiences are a proof of the importance of bookstalls in Mumbai. When children had less money but wanted to read, the Mumbaikar used to give it to them for free too after seeing their love for reading, like many other booksellers in the city. "Many years later, when they visited me, they provided Rs 2,000 - Rs 5,000 to assist with household expenses, showcasing the impactful nature of helping someone," concludes the Mumbaikar.

Even through all these troubles, Yadav calls it the best line of business because it imparts knowledge. It is also why he wants to continue being a bookseller till the end because of the many people who he has met over many decades. On one occasion, he got money from a well-wisher after the latter learned about his financial crisis, and that gives him hope for a brighter future.