Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Apr 23: The culture of reading printed books is witnessing a steep decline in Jamshedpur, as youth increasingly turn to digital platforms for their literary needs. With the easy availability of free or low-cost online editions, the sale of physical books — especially literary works, children’s books and magazines like Meri Saheli and Manorama — has dropped by nearly 70 percent.
A visit to several bookshops near Sakchi Old Court Road roundabout revealed a somber picture. Vendors wait long hours for customers, but the footfall remains dismal. “We only stock academic books now. Literary and entertainment books just don’t sell. They sit on the shelves for months,” shared the owner of Agrawal Book Store.
Utkal Pustak Bhandar, another prominent store, echoed similar concerns. “We have all kinds of books, but hardly anyone buys them. The interest is just not there anymore,” said the store operator.
Writers and book sellers alike blame technology for altering reading habits. “Today’s youth focus only on academic and competitive exam books. Interest in literature, society, stories and poetry has faded,” said writer Lakshmi Singh. “People read what they like on mobile phones, but reading physical books has a different charm. Earlier, a book would be read by an entire family and even shared with neighbours. That culture is lost.”
Anuj Singh, a bookseller near Old Court Road, summed it up starkly: “Now people are not buying books. The entire book business has changed. We’re just surviving. Technological development has destroyed the business.”
As digital consumption continues to rise, the future of traditional bookstores hangs in the balance, urging a cultural rethink on the role of books in modern life.
