Was reading the Hindustan Times (New Delhi) issue of June 27, and a few issues struck me.
Delhi has apparently put "the brakes" on its "ill-conceived" plan to close down its 40-year-old Darya Ganj book market, says the HT, citing a report in its paper as having helped to propel this decision. Incidentally, Goa lacks its own footpath-sales of books. The closest that one could get to this is lower-than-usual prices of outlets like Broadways. But, even then, there's little scope here for sale of hand-me-down second-hand books. Most bookoutlets sell books at marked prices, even if these are outdated books, the kind of which would be simply junked after lying unsold on the shelves in the West! Maybe someone should take the bold step of launching a second-hand books market. And while on the subject, here's something that was rather interesting and heart-warming (though I wonder how much true it is in a consumerist and entertainment-dominated Goa?): * Indians 'world's biggest readers' * Indians are the world's biggest readers at 10.7 hours a week - twice as long as Americans, a new survey says. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/south_asia/4626857.stm Another story that caught one's attention was titled 'Boy, do these girls set pulses racing'. It is about girls who love to ride bikes in Delhi. Goa has seen this for ages. So, what's new? A third article was titled 'Rajdhani stoppage at Kollam (Kerala) demanded'. Reminds one that some of the fast trains passing through Goa, apart from stopping at Margao, also tend to stop at Canacona. Now, politicians like Sanjay Bandekar might have done their job well (both in supporting the Konkan Railway Corporation and being on the right side of who rules Goa). But surely, there are more important stations that deserve a halt rather than the smaller-sized Canacona. And this is no reflection of any bias against Canacona or Canconkars (a great place, and always a relaxing drive away from urbanised Goa). Though our friend Tony Martins (who has been silent for long) would tend to disagree. FN