It was a sight for sore eyes, that tiny item in the Sunday morning newspaper announcing the revival, after a laps of eight long years, of the Sunday book bazaar in the park of Frere Hall. This very popular bazaar was abandoned following a bomb blast outside the American consulate opposite Frere Hall.
We never hoped to see the revival of the book bazaar because with each passing day the Americans were becoming more and more paranoid. It was for their security that the book bazaar was abandoned and they even tried to completely block the road in front of the consulate. The road atleast was partly opened to traffic.
The belligerence of the USA in the Middle East and Afghanistan after 9/11 also changed American attitude towards Karachiites. Their feeling of insecurity was reflected in the changing outlook of the consulate building. Once a friendly place without a boundary wall, the consulate began to look like a formidable fortress with thick steel plated boundary walls, barbed wire, police patrol, security guards and surveillance cameras.
The public resented the inconvenience of the half-blocked road while book lovers suffered heart break at the closure of the Sunday book bazaar. It prompted me everytime I passed by the American consulate to make the typically Sindhi five-finger curse sign. It was soon apparent that the consulate on a busy road was a greater threat to public safety and citizens demanded it should be shifted elsewhere.
Now the consulate has moved to its new premises on Queen's Road. The roadblocks, guards and barbed wire has disappeared from the front of the old building. But even six months after the consulate relocated there was no sign that the book bazaar would be revived.
Why the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) was reluctant to resume the Sunday book bazaar at Frere Hall, we do not know. Were they waiting for a nod from the almighty Americans or the even mightier PPP-led Sindh government which from day one has tried to undermine Karachi's peace and prosperity.
The resumption of the book bazaar last Sunday gave clear indication that the bazaar was resumed under duress. From one bookseller I heard that the decision to resume was taken only two days previously. That was the reason why few booksellers had set up stalls, he said. The bookstalls were under a tattered red tent and there were no lights. The setup looked slapdash. I wonder who proded the CDGK to resume the book bazaar; it must be someone with clout who is also a book lover.
It is not enough to reopen the book bazaar; it needs to be properly organised and the price and quality of books needs to be monitored. I purchased two books, a Hemingway and a Crichton, which on closer examination at home proved to be pirated copies. This was not evident by the sleek book covers and the hasty browsing under fading evening light at the bazaar. The bazaar should not become a venue for sale of pirated books.
The bazaar will sell old and new books but there has to be some rationale about the pricing. In the case of second-hand books (and pirated copies) the same title at one stall was for 150 rupees and at another for 90 rupees. If a customer looked at a book too eagerly, the seller would increased the price knowing that a sale was guaranteed at any price. New books were being sold at the same price they are available in regular bookshops. They ought to be sold at a discount at the bazaar. If these negative traits of the bazaar are not monitored then, I am afraid, the Sunday book bazaar will peter out and book lovers will go back to Khori Garden and book sales in shops in search of bargain price books. It is well known that most book lovers are not rich, and the original idea of a Sunday book bazaar was for their benefit.
Eight years ago, while the bookstalls at the bazaar were crowded there were not many people enjoying the fresh air in the park. My mother and an uncle are avid book readers and as a treat I would take one of them to the bazaar some Sundays in the evening. They loved the peace and quite of the Frere Hall park. After their purchases were made we would sit on a bench to have tea purchased from the chaiwala who carried his tea kettle fixed to a coal-burning stove. Eight years is a long time. My Family elders are now too feeble to be taken to the book bazaar. They would not only find the trip exhausting but would be overwhelmed by the crowds that now invade the park.
News reports stated there were few people on the reopening day of the bazaar. That may be so in the daytime, but in the evening the place was full to overflowing, both the bazaar tent and the park.
The reopening of the bazaar also meant the park was now open to the general public, and they came in hordes to enjoy an evening out. There is a reason for the sudden crush of people. Eight years ago there were only two high-rise building near Frere Hall. Now there are over a dozen in the vicinity within easy walking distance. So this time round, Sunday bazaar goers should expect to be jostle by a multitude of people not interested in the books but glad to be in the open air on the sprawling lawns of Frere Hall.
Another reason for the crowds is the Frere Hall park has always been a place for the whole family, men, women and children together. This is not the case with other parks in the city. They either become exclusively ladies parks or parks where only men are seen. The male-dominated parks invariably are frequented by religious minded males who eventually turn the park into a masjid compound. Even the Zoological Garden is not a Family park. There are separate days when women and children may come there. Frere Hall park is unique.
Nevertheless, Frere Hall will remain an ideal place for Sunday book bazaar; in fact for any type of book event. Maybe they could hold the next book festival here. The last festival was at a remote place and many Karachiites complained the lack of transport to reach the venue. The Sunday bazaar itself could also serve as a good place for a book launch. Perhaps the NGOs promoting literacy could also set up a stall at the bazaar. There are so many possibilities that will help increase the number of book readers and cater to public interest in books. So no matter the reluctance of CDGK to resumed the Sunday book bazaar at Frere Hall, a big thanks.