KARACHI: “Books carry knowledge, promote literature and are the major vehicle in our times to transfer literary pieces not only from person to person but from generation to generation”, said Prof Saher Ansari at the ongoing book mela held by Welcome Book Port in Urdu Bazaar.

The subject of the Saturday’s sitting at the mela was the role of books in the promotion of literature. Those who spoke on the subject included Saba Ikram, Ali Haider Malik, Aamir Liaquat Husain, Fauqia Mushtaq and Akhtar Saeedi who also conducted the proceedings.

Saba Ikram expressed his apprehensions on the expansionist move of the computer over the print media, the growing popularity of CDs, cassettes etc which might completely take over the role of the print media in coming years.

Prof Saher Ansari had an entirely different opinion. Earlier in a brief discourse, Malik contended that books would not be replaced by computer. “Books are very handy and close companions and can be carried any where and at all times”.

He quoted the experience of a famous researcher who developed a throbbing neck-pain while gazing at the moving lines on the computer screen.

Prof Ansari opined that technology had always supported the print media and helped develop the book-industry as one could see its popularity in the west where quality books were being printed in the shortest period of time.

It was not possible to transfer the entire literary wealth found in the books into cassettes. With the change of script in Turkey an effort was made to transfer the whole of Turkish literature into Roman script, which ultimately failed, Prof Ansari said.

Akhtar Saeedi, Imran Liaquat Hussain and Fauqia Mushtaq, in their brief comments, stressed the need for more such melas to attract more and more number of people towards books.

Malik said that in most cases it was not the forbidding cost of books which discouraged sales but lack of awareness in the people regarding the knowledge and inspiration which a book carried. Books should be treated as valuable birthday gifts, and also as gifts on all occasions, he concluded.

Asghar Zaidi, the host at the mela, expressed his satisfaction over the success of his venture. By doling out around 50 per cent rebate on the sale of books, he had actually eliminated the middle-man, whose loss was the buyers gain.—Hasan Abidi