Will Mumbai's iconic Strand book stall stand the test of time?

Last December when Jai Hind Collegersquos head of department for Mass Media professor S Varalakshmi walked into Fortrsquos Strand Book Stall she was told its iconic sale was underway in a space next door For decades Mumbairsquos booklovers had queued up outside Sunderbai Hall in Marine Lines where Strandrsquos fiercely popular annual sale would be held ldquoI was told the store could no longer afford the hallrsquos high rentalsrdquo says Varalakshmi ldquoI picked up a few books to gift friends and show my supportrdquoThe Strand book stall PicsBipin KokateThe professor is one among hundreds who share an emotional connect with the modest bookshop that Padma Shri late TN Shanbhag set up in November 1948 with a capital of Rs 450 Recent talk of financial stress has spurred anxiety within the community of book loversLast month a newspaper announced the store was shuttering Loyal customers flocked to the groundplusmezzanine outpost in Bora Bazaar but were reassured that the news was inaccurateClose on the heels of this come murmurs about nonpayment of dues to Strands staff some of them employees since the 1960s Last week a source close to the bookstore revealed that the storersquos 13member team had not received their salaries for the last few months Several among them are senior citizens who think it impossible to seek fresh job opportunities They had little option said the source but to petition owner and Shanbhags Bangalorebased daughter Vidya Virkar to look urgently into the matter Yesterday we heard that part of the arrears were cleared leaving the staff hopeful that creases would be ironed outThe iconic Strand Book Stall has held its annual sale at Sunderbai Hall for decades but can no longer afford the high rentalsVirkar however put it down to rumourmongering ldquoItrsquos false news The staff is insecure because things are in a state of flux Strand is at a crossroads and must either reinvent itself or cease to exist As owner I am looking at several options available before I take a call In fact big investors are keen to help us spread in other cities But I need to weigh every aspect carefully to ensure sustainabilityrdquo she saidVirkar added that it wasnt appropriate to have shared the same with the staff considering these are private management decisionsWhile Virkar is determined to sound optimistic those in the know from bookstore circles have a different story to tell An industrywallah says ldquoNo new titles are reaching its bookshelves The same stock is being recycled Payments havenrsquot been made to distributors so fresh stock isnrsquot coming in The staff has to pick up titles from subdistributors This automatically reduces discount margins that have always been Strands USPrdquoAll Virkar says to this is a firm ldquoWe arenrsquot shutting shop Strand is up and runningrdquoLoyalists cannot but help remember Shanbhagrsquos goodwill that made the institution a success Taking personal interest in picking titles maintaining a rapport with distributors sharing views with discerning readers and couriering books that werenrsquot available to customers when they visited Shanbhag was the bookworms personal advisor ldquoIf a book wasnrsquot on sale the efficient staff would source the requested book Irsquod always receive it within a weekrdquo advocate Narayan Kumar remembers Distributors swore by Shanbhagrsquos acumen and involvement and regulars like Shweta George miss his presence ldquoThe titles are still there and the staff is everhelpful But his loss has left a huge vacuumrdquo A regular for 30 years George stopped visiting the store after she realized that a grand bouquet of discounted titles was available to her onlineVirkar admits that the digital retail revolution has hit them hard ldquoThe current template needs a revamp since modes of reading have changed Rumours will fly We will go on and do what we have to do systematically and calmly Donrsquot forget this is a legacy not just a storerdquo