31 March,2022 03:37 PM IST | Mumbai | Sarasvati T
Most of the books are neatly arranged on tables at the entry of the bhavan, while others remain packed in cartons stacked in old dusty cupboards. Image credit: Sarasvati T
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"Ever since I became a book seller, my dream has been to build a centre where non-privileged children can come, study and further the legacy of Babasaheb, Shahu Maharaj and our leaders through their writings," says Mangala Waman Kadam, who single-handedly manages the Dr Ambedkar Book Centre in Dadar. "What I have learnt and understood after coming here, I want it to reach to more people. This is why I don't worry about profits or earnings through this book centre."
Welcomed by the preamble of the Constitution of India at the entry gate - not a usual sight at Mumbai's famous public spaces - one can sense the weight of the history that Dr Ambedkar Bhavan carries. The compound also houses Buddha Bhushan, a printing press started by Dr BR Ambedkar, which publishes the newspaper âPrabuddha Bharat' till date. Once known for the gatherings of leaders from the Dalit Panthers movement and members of the Republican Party, it is now mainly a marriage hall and wears the look of a neglected under-construction site. The premises used to be home to a fully built book shop, popular for providing a diverse range of literary titles to sellers across the city - especially the private sellers at Dadar's Chaithyabhoomi, where Bahujan literature flourishes at a string of stalls facing the sea.
Established in 2002 by Pune-based publisher âSugava Prakashan', the Dr Ambedkar Book Centre is now reduced to a makeshift stall in the margins of the spacious hall. Of its about 300 titles, some are arranged on four or five iron tables lined at the entrance of the bhavan, while others are packed in brown cartons stacked in old dusty cupboards. The book shop continues to exist in a dimly-lit off-limits corridor in a corner of the building, filled with debris and the smell of cement. "I don't like seeing my books like this, gathering dust and being infested by bookworms. It hurts me," says Kadam. Some of the most popular books at the centre include Marathi translated versions of the series âDr Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings & Speeches', âWho were the Shudras?' by BR Ambedkar, collections of poems by Savitribai Phule and Jyotirao Phule, biographies of the Phule couple by Marathi authors, Tarabai Shinde's âStree-Purush Tulana' and biography of well-known tribal leader Birsa Munda by Dr VN Meshram among many others.
Everything was going well until the partial demolition of the Ambedkar Bhavan in the early hours of June 25, 2016, which led to the destruction of the bookshop and also damaged parts of the old printing machines in the press. According to reports, the members of the People's Improvement Trust (PIT) and former state information commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad - also a former adviser to the PIT - were being probed in the case for their involvement in the illegal demolition of the structure.
The incident and an alleged internal conspiracy had kickstarted a legal battle between the Ambedkar family and the PIT members over the ownership of the property, rendering the matter sub judice till date. With support from members of the Ambedkar family, Kadam was allowed to continue her operations from the not-so-visible space provided to her at the Bhavan.
"I was given this space by the Ambedkar family and the Vilas Wagh family, owners of the Sugava publishers I still receive books from the publishers for sale. I have not given up despite losses and difficult personal circumstances," says 50-year-old Kadam, who has been associated with the Sugava publishers for over 20 years now and has been leading their entire operations in the city.
From 500-1,000 titles, the book centre is now reduced to 300 titles and the number of visitors has dropped too. However, the bookshop, which attracted many students, intellectuals and community members alike on a daily basis and hosted intimate discussions about Bahujan authors and the anti-caste movement, has not lost its spirit yet.
Dr Anand Kasle, a law scholar and member of the movement, is a regular visitor at the bhavan and at Kadam's book stalls. As someone who has witnessed the condition of the book centre over a period, Kasle says, "I have known this shop for years and I always purchase books from here; my whole family does. Usually on Saturdays I visit and devote time for society and the movement."
"Though there are many bookstores in the city, they previously refused to sell books that told our history. They are now selling books by Ambedkarite authors due to the demand and to increase their business," he says, adding that he could order 12 volumes of BC Khairmode's autobiographical writings on Ambedkar from Sugava publishers through Kadam.
Hardships and efforts for survival
The double impact of the2016 demolition followed by the Covid-19 pandemic hit the book sales and affected the profits by a great margin. The book sellers who regularly purchased in bulk from Kadam visited her less frequently, causing a plunge in revenue from Rs 10,00,000 per month to barely Rs 10,000 currently. The hidden location of the stalls also adds to the invisibility of the book centre.
"During the 2020 lockdown, books worth Rs 80,000 to Rs 90,000 caught worms. I have run into a loss of Rs 30-35 lakhs since 2016. Due to Covid-19, the book sellers who used to purchase at least 100 copies of a book are now taking just 10 or 5 copies of the same and they used to return for some books in 15 days, but now it takes months," says Kadam, who despite losses has always provided a 10 percent discount on all books during occasions like Ambedkar Jayanti, Buddha Pournima or the birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and other days relevant to Bahujan history. Irrespective of the occasions, Kadam has observed that the people who purchase these books are mainly from the Bahujan communities or those who follow Dr Ambedkar's writings and vision.
"I visited the book centre five years back and was excited to see some rare titles and lesser published books here. There were more racks and books back then. As far as I know, these are authentic books and if made available, it will be sold a lot, but nobody is taking efforts to sell it," says Rupesh Kamble, an agro professional, who visited the store after five years and was surprised to see it in its present state.
"There are people who deliberately don't keep these books. They look at caste and they don't want these books to be read by many people. It's very sad to see such incidents happening with rare book centres," adds Kamble.
While one sees people entering the bhavan and eyeing the books displayed with keen interest, very few of them actually buy. According to Kadam, the financial impact of the pandemic on every household has made reading a luxury for many. Unable to sell their existing stocks, book sellers across the city are forced to buy less from wholesalers.
"Now, I don't come here often because I can't see many people coming here, neither sellers nor common people. Some come for two days regularly and keep reading the same book because they are interested in taking that book but they cannot afford it. Whenever I come, I make sure I sell at least two books in a day," says Kadam, whose knowledge about the titles she sells convinces one among the ten persons to take the book home. While Kadam is not always present at the book stall, in her absence her father takes charge of the sale from noon to 7 pm in the evening every week day.
Dream to rebuild the book centre for students
Educated till Class 12, Kadam had started working with the Sugava publishers at a monthly salary of Rs 500 and has dedicated two decades of her life to successfully running the book centre. A reading enthusiast herself, she has read the Ramayana and Mahabharata and translated versions of Dr Ambedkar's books and social reformer Anna Bhau Sathe's writings, which she says are very close to her heart.
"When my grandfather was paralysed, I used to read Babasaheb's books to him. It always made me teary-eyed. Since then, I have always wanted to manage my own bookshop and I can see that there is a lot of demand for Ambedkar and Phule books," she shares.
As someone who has been providing books at heavy discount and sometimes for free to undergraduate students, who could not purchase books for every new academic year, Kadam hopes to establish an education and cultural centre where under-privileged women and children can access the space to study and spend time together.
"I have a dream that once I get access to a space to build the book centre, I want to keep all kinds of literature for students from all kinds of professions at a reasonable price. They should not find it difficult to educate themselves because of not being able to access books," says Kadam.
Speaking to Mid-Day Online, the current manager of Sugava Prakashan, Prakash Jawale, informs that efforts are on to resolve the court matter in the coming months and rebuild the book centre either at Ambedkar Bhavan or at a nearby location. Jawale added that the new book centre will also be managed by Kadam, given her efforts and trusted association with the movement for years.
"I could not complete my education, but I want others to educate themselves," Kadam adds. "In my years here, I have observed that compared to literate people, those who have a humanitarian perspective and those who have always lived among the people are capable of doing many great things for the masses. It is because of these people that the Ambedkarite movement has been able to live on for all these years."
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