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New Delhi
By Our Staff Reporter
Not a stranger to India, Mr Cheema has been visiting the country almost every year. But this time, he feels, the atmosphere is just ripe for cashing in on opportunities thrown open by the new overtures of friendship. ``The emphasis this time is on sending educational books Pakistani children because the Government there has, as part of a major initiative to boost education, increased the grants for schools and colleges by as much as 50 per cent,'' says the publisher, adding that under Pakistani laws import of educational, professional, technical and scientific books is allowed. Pointing out that despite the growth of other mediums such as television, the publishing industry has been growing by about 25 per cent annum over the last five years. Mr. Cheema attributes the growth to the increase in population and the corresponding rise in the number of literates. Of the view that in this scenario the Indian book market has a lot to offer for the children of Pakistan, Mr Cheema says that while the quality of books here is as good as anywhere they cost only a fraction of what they would in some developed country. Pointing out that "there is an enormous business potential that needs to be tapped'', he says the trade in this sector can increase by at least five times from the current levels in about a year. "Co-publishing is the need of the hour,'' he says, explaining that now publishers in India print additional copies for their trade associates in Pakistan thereby generating business for both. ``Not only do they print the copies, the publishers in India also make suitable changes in the printline to make the books appear truly Pakistani,'' he says, adding that this kind of business is showing great promise. However, while the resumption of the Lahore bus service has provided the publishers of Pakistan an opportunity to visit India without burning a hole in their pockets, the trade is still dependent on shipments from Mumbai to Karachi via Dubai. "The transportation cost generally increased the price of the books by 20 per cent and eats into the profits of the business. With the resumption of rail links, however, the transportation cost would drop by up to seven times,'' says Mr Cheema. And while business should have been preoccupying the mind of Mr Cheema as also the 40 other publishers from Pakistan who are here to participate in the Delhi Book Fair, they are equally worried about their return journey. ``My visa expires at the end of this month, but there are no seats available on the Lahore bus before September 16,'' says Mr. Cheema, worried that business back home would suffer if he stays back. But while the publishers on both sides are equally desirous of better transport links, they agree that it is for the diplomacy to address this issue. ``We are as hungry to sell the books, as they are to buy them. And while they want all kinds of books, especially those for children, we are eager to have their literary works in Urdu. And things will surely improve if all the transportation links are restored,'' says S.K. Ghai, convenor of the Federation of Indian Publishers, the Indian hosts to the Pakistan delegation.
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