A stand for traditions
"I remember back in the Panchayat period, roadside newspaper sellers like me would be up and selling till 11at night. Even though there were no books or magazines at the time, there was a lot of interest for papers. Even a couple of years ago, I had to wake up at five in morning to set up my shop. Sometimes even that was too late. Customers would come and start buying right away. These days, however, much has changed," shares Desh Bhakta Chitrakar.
Nobody could be more dismayed than him that these days he can open his book and newspaper stall at New Road by 8 am and close by 7 pm. He might not have personally logged onto any news site online but he has heard a lot about them. He can also see how the convenience of Internet is slowing crippling his business. Thus the thought that he might have to look for other alternative has crossed his mind.
"Sitting here while waiting for customers, I do wonder how long I can go with just this book selling business. It's a disturbing thought because it's the only thing I have done so far. I don't know how to do anything else," confesses Chitrakar.
Despite the nagging doubts, looking at his merchandise, it is clear that he is not going anywhere without a fight. From exclusively selling newspapers, today Chitrakar has expanded to books, magazines and even calendars. He makes it a point to know about the most happening writers and books of the moment. "In case somebody asks for recommendations, I want to be able to give it," he says. Further, Chitrakar also diligently packs a tarp and a couple of stools every single day for the benefit of his customers – an arrangement that has become quite popular among his regulars.
There are many who read on the spot and don't buy anything from Chitrakar. Though it can be quite frustrating at times, he seems to be able to empathize with those people too.
"The economy of our country is in a bad shape. I suffer from its consequences and so do other people. How are they supposed to buy a paper over lunch every single day? It's just the way it is," states Chitrakar.
For a bigger cause
Many around the New Baneshwor area know Tika Neupane by his first name and why wouldn't they? He has been a steady sight at the chowk's footpath for almost two decades now. It was apparently the first place in Kathmandu that he came to after leaving his hometown, Morang.
Even back then Tika distinctly remembers the area having a nice open space and a lot of human traffic, a perfect spot to sell his newspapers. Today the arm full of papers has turned into a couple of sacks full of books. He carefully spreads them every single morning at around six along with the usual newspapers. Most of the time, it doesn't take a lot of time for a crowd to swell around him.
"In a way, this does feel like a service to the public. You are helping spread information, knowledge and culture. I like selling books," says Neupane. He is particularly impressed with the recent growth in Nepali literature. He shares that, it's usually in the evening that he makes most of his sales and more often than not, it is one of those Nepali novels being purchased by students and youths.
According to him, spreading books on the streets is a good way to entice prospective readers. Every now and then, he even gets buyers who have never been to a bookstore before. Neupane points this as his favorite part of the job; ensuring easy accessibility to good reads for the public at large.
Ironically enough, he confesses that he hasn't read any of the books he has sold. Though he does scan the papers for headlines in the mornings, he insists it gets too busy in the day to properly start on a book. In fact, he has lost a few books in that manner.
"There aren't many book thieves these days but a couple of years ago, it was quite a problem. It's hard to keep track of people when there is a crowd and I have had several books stolen in the past. So strict vigilance is a must," says Neupane.
Apart from that, he has also had some encounters with the traffic police. He might be selling books but ultimately, he is a street vendor and so he has had to teach himself the art of negotiation. The last time he had his merchandize seized by authority was a year and a half ago, so he likes to think he has become pretty good at tackling these day to day obstacles. The bigger picture has always been his main concern i.e. selling books and playing his own little part in making sure Kathmandu gets its good reads.
A family affair
Near the pipal tree at New Road are two brothers carrying on the work that their father had started more than 40 years ago. Dinesh Chitrakar, the younger of the two doesn't even remember how or why they began a roadside book selling business. He suggests that his older brother might be able to give more insight on the matter. As far as he knows, "This is just the way it's always been."
As a child, he remembers his father waking up early in the morning and sometimes even waking them up so they could go to the whole sellers to get the day's newspapers. Today, that's what he and his brother do too, every single day, at 7 am sharp. The hard work has paid off to an extent. The family now also owns a proper bookstore at Chetrapati. Regardless, they don't plan to leave their 'spot' by the sidewalk at the heart of the capital.
"It's a matter of an individual's interest. We could be selling a variety of different things but my father had a particular liking to reading so he chose books. I too enjoy reading literature and political articles every now and then. Then there are the discussions and debates that arise every now and then among the customers. I think it's one of the highlights of having a roadside business. I don't exactly participate in them but they are undeniably entertaining," says Rajesh Chitrakar, the elder brother.
He is the one who makes all the decisions for their business. From the types of books and magazines that are sold to the time they close on a particular day, the other members of the family working at the roadside stall (like his younger brother and wife) make it a point to consult with him.
There might be many faces that the Chitrakar brothers recognize and they make it a point to greet their regulars with a lot of warmth. However, at the end of the day, they insist it is business. Keeping their New Road book corner up and running has always been challenging. Battling the pollution, noise, and the crowd is easy compared to making sure they meet their quota of sales. So their mantra, they share, is fair pricing. The cheapest book they sell costs Rs 100 and their priciest read is a little more than Rs 700. So requests of discounts are not entertained.
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