India - 50 Years of Independence: 1947-97 (Status, Growth & Development)

Indian Publishing is one of the most under-rated intellectual enterprises in the country. Since the publishers are not demanding and believe in working without fanfare, they tend to be overlooked in the official scheme of things. Publishing does not find a place of honour in the cultural policy pronouncements of India. Above all, the publishing industry is now threatened with foreign invasion of unprecedented character. All this is being done in the name of liberalization and opening up of the economy. Has the battle for the mind of the people been already lost without firing a single shot?

The present study is basically a statement by a student of publishing who is deeply committed to Indian writers and believes passionately in the cult of the book.

Narendra Kumar, Chairman, Har-Anand Publications Pvt. Ltd., is considered to be the doyen of Indian publishing. Washington Post had hailed him as a publisher who made "a legend of himself".

Narendra Kumar has written extensively on Indian publishing. He has lectured both in India and abroad. He has been a member of various UNESCO and WIPO Working Groups.

Narendra Kumar has also been President. Federation of Indian Publishers; Regional Chairman, CAPEXIL; Trustee, National Book Trust, Ministry of Education and Culture; Member, National Book Development Council, Ministry of Human Resource Development; Chairman, Book Export Division. CAPEXIL; and Founder Chairman, Delhi Book Fair.

Narendra Kumar is the youngest publisher to have been inducted into the Indian Publishing Hall of Fame.

For the last many years, I have been spending all my spare time in writing about my involvement in publishing during the seventies and the eighties. In a sense, it is an account of Indian publishing as seen by me at the intimate personal level. Meanwhile, one fineday, I was approached by the scion of a family, with which I have close ties, to write a book under the series on "50 years of India's Independence". At the same time, I was also committed to complete my book "President Askar Akaev of Kyrghyzstan : A Political Biography" which is sequel to my triology on Central Asian leaders. Equally, my involvement with a group of public schools in India as well as in the affairs of the Federation of India Publishers and Delhi Book Fair has been keeping me fully engaged.

However, with Ashok and Ashish taking full charge of the running of Har-Anand Publications, has allowed me total freedom to pursue activities which interest me the most.

Even then, I found it difficult to decline the offer made by Mr. Praveen Mittal, Managing Director, BRPC (India) Ltd., to write a book on my grand passion: Indian Publishing and those associated with it.

Indian publishing in one of the most under-rated intellectual enterprises in the country. Since the publishers. are not demanding and believe in working without fanfare, they tend to be overlooked in the official scheme of things. Publishing does not find a place of honour in the cultural policy pronouncements of India. Above all, the publishing industry is now threatened with foreign invasion of unprecedented character. All this is being done in the name of liberalization and opening up of the economy. Has the battle for the mind of the people been already lost without firing a single shot?

There are a few countries barring India which have surrendered meekly on ideological affront by opening their doors and windows to the invasion of foreign publishing in all departments of life including children's books, academic literature, general works including fiction.

**Contents and Sample Pages**