Most of the local authors are in a dilemma whether to publish their works or not. While interacting with various local authors they looked concerned about their literary workers as they hardly find takers of their published works. I have written enough and would not like to write more, when there are no takers for my compositions. These are the words of a reputed writer. I do not like to disclose his name due to his certain personal reasons. His argument was based on facts and I consider him a genuine writer, because one writes for his readers. When one has got no takers and readership what is the fun of writing?
In fact most of the works of the local authors of Jammu and Kashmir, in prose or poetry, have got very less takers. The local book marts provide hardly any space to local authors. It was certain institutional libraries which would accommodate the works of these local authors. But from last few years most of school, college and university libraries have left entertaining local authors.
The local authors are dejected by the poor response of the local library institutions and cultural institutions. They are also very much disappointed by the indifferent attitude of the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art , Culture and Languages and Libraries and Research Department, as they hardly get any financial assistance from these organizations.
The local authors who have been investing on publications of their respective compositions hardly find any buyers. The local book markets provide no space for local works and same is the case with government library and educational institutions, which have also reduced the space for local contents.
The local content is not only ignored by the institutions but by the local readers as well. The contents written in Kashmiri, Punjabi, Dogri, Ladakhi, Nagri, Gojri, Pahari and in other local dialects find hardly any space in the public and institutional libraries. The content written in fiction and nonfiction subjects, local arts, culture and literature, either in prose or poetry hardly reaches to its readers.
In fact non availability of local content on the library shelves have given rise to readership crisis, which is considered as the major problem for a local writer. The local writers compile their works with hard mental labor but still they do not find any takers. Lack of readership for a local writer is a grave issue.
Since writers comprise our intellectual class, which have got a sensitive temperament. Indeed they observe and feel finer things. They would express their feelings through pen, but would never protest. They would hardly raise their voice like trade unionists raise for the fulfillment of their demands. In fact it is the moral duty of the state to take care of this intellectual asset and of their works.
The local writers shall be assisted in publication of their respective compositions and the purchasing of few copies of their works by university, college and school libraries shall be made mandatory. In fact, earlier purchasing of at least three copies of each title of a local author, for a private and public library was mandatory, but I do not know if this code still operates anywhere. If local authors of Jammu and Kashmir are to be believed, neither school nor the college and university libraries are entertaining their works. It is only libraries and research department which once a year purchases few copies of their works.
Since scores of books are annually published in Kashmiri, Punjabi, Nagri, Dogri, Ladakhi and in other local dialects. These publications are not produced by the publishers but by local authors, as the publishers are no more interested in local dialectal drafts.
What is the fun of publishing books, When there is no body to purchase them. Many of my friends may not agree, but I feel disgusted, when I see my writers not entertained even by the institutional libraries. I feel that our writers are wasting their time and intellectual ability besides paper and ink, if they do not find takers. Let us think a while why a writer writes? If you are a creative writer, you want to communicate you ideas to your readers and if you are fiction writer you entertain your readers with your wonderful stories. But if you are a historian or a researcher, you write to document the unknown events and facts for your readers.
In all the cases readership is an essential element. If a writer has got no readers, his act of writing is meaningless. Due to paucity of readership, the terminology of the local literature has also suffered. The classical vocabulary of the local dialects is dying. It is the light and modern vocabulary which is spoken these days. The local dialects’ vocabulary has, in fact, been replaced by new and ultra modern words.
It is not only the local dialects of this land, but even Hindi, Urdu and English writers are facing similar crisis and their space is shrieking in the local university, college and school libraries.
The UT government and concerned institutions should come forward and frame a literary policy for upcoming poets and writers, entraining literary works of local authors at the university, college, school, public libraries levels. The local authors and literary forums of Jammu and Kashmir shall also decently raise their voice for marketing of their literary works.