The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) has expressed strong discontent over the cancellation of the upcoming book fair in Srinagar, accusing the local administration of bias against literary events. They termed the incident as “unfortunate” for a hub of education like Srinagar.The NSUI has urged the organisers of the book fair to consider holding the event in Pauri instead. NSUI’s general secretary, Ankit Sundriyal, and state secretary, Mukul Kumar, jointly stated, “The book fair was set to feature participation from the renowned Garhwali artist Narendra Singh Negi. Over 75,000 books from Hindi, English, and local Garhwali authors were to be showcased.”Sundriyal further said, “It has come to light that the BJP’s affiliated student organisation is opposing this event. Narendra Singh Negi has also expressed his displeasure on social media regarding the denial of permission for the fair.”Sundriyal emphasised, “This is not just an opposition to books but an opposition to our culture. Any organisation that hinders educational activities has no right to call itself a student organisation.”Author and historian Jai Singh Rawat expressed his concerns regarding the cancellation of the book fair, stating, “There is a fear of books, which signifies that they still hold power. Article 19 guarantees freedom of expression to every citizen. Such political encroachment in the realm of literature is detrimental to the democratic atmosphere.”
Source link
