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SOUND OFF

As an avid reader and a comic book writer, I haunt the biggest bookshops of the city and am just fed up with the middle-grade and teen books section. They have a fabulous western collection, but why aren’t there any kids fighting to buy books by Indian authors? A full day spent surveying the spreads on display provided an answer. The three biggest problems I find in many desi books for children are as follows.

First, they are copycat versions of popular western stories. Children often tell me it’s hard for them to relate to an Indian kid in a public school or on a secret adventure. I agree. When readers have access to and love reading and re-reading the real “Malory Towers” and “Famous Five”, why would they read Indian versions of them? All they look for is something which keeps their curious minds alert and interested.

Second, these books talk down to children. I find a lot of them absurdly preachy and pedantic in plot development, choice of language, or both. Most writers assume kids are simpletons, and write every story with a moral in mind.

Young readers on an average read a book a week and are wise beyond their age. Books that deal with “simple” or “moral” stories will either result in a boring read or just fail to make a lasting impact on the reader’s mind. Indians reign supreme in so many fields these days, and all it takes is a little homework and compassionate thinking to offer the right material to contemporary Indian kids.

Finally, too many retellings spoil the kid’s brain. I have written several retellings myself, so I should not be saying this. But I think publishers should just draw a line somewhere and stop mass producing our epics. Children see a whole aisle of Jatakas and Mahabaratas and Ramayanas in various sizes, colours and versions that it’s enough to make them give up entirely on Indian literature. They end up thinking the epics are commonplace and turn to western books. It’s kiddie brain drain!

The bottom line is, in India, it’s adults who need to grow up. Today’s kids and teens face gut-wrenching real-life problems. It’s not going to work if you dictate morals from another era to children and hope they will win in a cut-throat world. Disturbing issues such as sexual molestation and physical abuse by adults or peers, and acute communication problems such as over-timidity and low confidence are rampant in schools and homes. When are we ever going to tackle such issues on print and be a source of hope and support to those kids?

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