PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The president of the Doon Valley Mahanagar Udyog Vyapar Mandal (DVMUVM), Pankaj Masson stated that the sealing of four bookshops by the authorities was not justified or legally valid. He made these comments during a Press conference organised on Friday.
Masson expressed support for the booksellers’ association. He said that on March 29, concerned officials inspected the bookshops under the pretext of investigating the sale of overrated books. However, during the inspection, no instances of selling overrated books were found, nor were there any issues related to GST. He pointed out that officials arbitrarily claimed some books were counterfeit or duplicate due to a lack of ISBN, even when an ISBN was indeed available. He emphasised that having or not having an ISBN does not determine a book’s legal status.
Masson further said that if the bookshop owners had committed any violations, the officials should have taken immediate action during the original inspection. Since no action was taken at that time, it was surprising when, on April 1, the same officials returned to seal the four bookshops, citing an FIR and other notices. He said that the FIR included charges under three sections, including selling duplicate books and cheating.
He questioned why the authorities acted against them when the legal terms indicate that an ISBN does not make a book legally valid or invalid and is not mandatory. During the initial inspection, the server was down, preventing the bookseller from showing the ISBN, but they now have evidence proving that the books do have ISBNs. Considering this situation, the city’s booksellers went on strike and temporarily closed their shops. However, in response to parental concerns, they reopened the shops except the sealed shop on Friday. This, however, does not mean they have ceased their fight; they will continue to advocate for the sealed shops, he said.
On behalf of the Doon Ghati Bookseller Association, Masson urged the government to allow them to reopen the sealed shops, asserting that they are willing to comply if any irregularities are discovered. He warned that if their concerns are not addressed, they would consider declaring a city-wide market shutdown and they are even planning to approach the high Court with evidence.
Officials from the Doon Ghati Book Seller Association were also present during the press conference.
