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The prestigious Urdu publishing house 'Maktaba Jamia' has succumbed to neglect and apathy

Discover the crisis at Maktaba Jamia in Urdu Bazaar, Old Delhi, as unpaid salaries lead to closures, affecting Urdu publishing.
on Sep 11, 2023

The branch of the publishing business in Old Delhi's Urdu Bazaar has been closed since the final employee departed due to unpaid salaries.

Maktaba Jamia Limited, a prominent publishing business known for printing many rare and valuable Urdu books and making them available at low prices, is currently confronting a dilemma. So much so that its store in Urdu Bazaar near Jama Masjid in Old Delhi has been forced to close due to a lack of workers.

Investigation revealed that not only has the publication of its prominent literary magazine Kitab Numa and children's literature magazine Payam-e-Taleem been halted for the last 4-5 years, but workers at various Maktaba branches have also not been paid for months.

According to reports, the latest issue of Kitab Numa, which also features a guest editorial by famed litterateur Farhat Ehsas, has been ready for publishing for quite some time, but there is no one to supervise the process.

Ali Khusro Zaidi, who had been working as a caretaker at the Old Delhi branch since he retired in 2014 on a modest income of Rs 10,000 per month, quit last week after protesting for a long time about non-payment of salary and reportedly being humiliated.

Khusro had been the lone person administering this branch for some months.

"As per the rule, four people have been appointed here, but one of our colleagues, who had not received his salary for six months, has stopped coming in despair," Khusro told The Wire.

"One of the two remaining employees was assigned to the headquarters as part of a 'conspiracy.'" The other guy came in every now and again, so the entire burden fell on me."

"Shortly after, the headquarters stopped sending books and there was no response to inquiries." "I worked for seven months in severe mental agony as a result of such behaviour and left when I was fed up," he explained.

"Why is such treatment being meted out to Maktaba when there are sufficient funds and good sales?" he queried.

When queried about the branch's closure, he stated, "I've also heard that the branch has remained closed ever since I left." The headquarters must now make a decision concerning its future."

Meanwhile, The Wire obtained similar information from Maktaba outlets in Delhi, Aligarh, and Mumbai. It is claimed that the institution has been suffering from extreme negligence for the past two years. A meeting with the university administration was recently scheduled on July 18, but it was also postponed.

Employees allege that they have tried everything to communicate with the administration, including arranging meetings, but the results have been dismal.

Some report that the situation has deteriorated to the point where some Maktaba employees are obliged to work as part-time e-rickshaw drivers to make ends meet.

When The Wire attempted to contact the managing director, Shahzad Anjum, about the apparent deterioration of the Maktaba's state, he refused to comment, claiming that he was not permitted to speak to the media.

According to reports, Anjum has submitted his resignation to the administration three or four times in the previous few months in connection with the Maktaba case, but it has yet to be approved.

"I am on its board, but at the moment I will not say anything about the matter," noted Urdu critic Siddiq-ur-Rehman Kidwai, who is also a member of Matkaba's board of directors, told TheWire. I won't be able to remark until the problem is resolved."

When asked if a meeting was planned, he replied, "There will be a meeting."

Meanwhile, Masoom Muradabadi, a senior Urdu journalist who first raised the issue on social media and in publications, stated, "Maktaba has been in a bad state for the last few years, and since it is a part of the university, the latter should have taken an interest in it." Despite the fact that Maktaba has its own cash and land, there is no one who can effectively manage it."

"Urdu Bazaar was its largest branch, with the highest sales." However, its leader was forced out a week ago. He has worked there for 45 years. This branch has since been shuttered," he noted.

He believes that someone is deliberately attempting to demolish the institution, which is already on its deathbed. It will be a big loss if it dies, he continued.

While the Urdu readership speculates about Maktaba and its destiny, no one has a definitive answer at this time. In one of his essays, the late Shamsur Rahman Faruqi observed, "Ever since Shahid Ali Khan (former manager of Maktaba) left, it appears as if misfortune has befallen Maktaba Jamia." People who took over the job (of publishing books for the Maktaba) after him have never even published a magazine. What do they know about press printing and paper quality? Anyway, the day Shahid Ali Khan resigned, Maktaba Jamia lost its position among Urdu publishing houses."

The Maktaba appears to be experiencing this reality right now.