PATIALA: This is the stunning story of the ill-fated scripts of rare books which were sent for publication by the Punjab Language Department to the State Printing and Stationery Department.
The story begins with the script of the book “Guru Nanak da Hindi Maha Kavya” which was sent to the Printing and Stationery Department 23 years ago for getting it published by the Punjab Language Department. The Printing and Stationery Department which gets such books published from the private printing presses. Allocated the script to a Jalandhar-based press the press has since closed. But what happened to the script nobody knows and this is not the only Script to meet such a fate. There are several dozen scripts of rare books about which nothing is known. Take the case of the script of “Janam Sakhian the Tulnatamak Adhian”. More than 100 reminders have been given to the printing department since 1971 when the language department had sent the script for publication but things have not moved even an inch. Now the language department has got the answer to its reminders that the press was not supplying the book as its material was destroyed in 1988 when floods inundated certain parts of Jalandhar City. The gap between 1971 and 1988 too speaks about the mass created by all concerned.
The case regarding the script of the book “Pilu Ranchnawali” is even more shocking The script of this book was allotted to a Jalandhar press in 1975. Neither has the book been published so far not the script been returned 10 the department concerned Having exhausted all other means now the Deputy Commissioner of Jalandhar district has been requested to get the script recovered from the press through the police. Almost same is the fate of the script of the book “Waris Shah”. In this case the Ludhiana district authorities have been requested to get the script recovered through the police.
According to informed sources in the Punjab Language Department more than 480 scripts of books which were seat to the Printing and Stationery Department have not been returned to the language department. Many of these have not even been allocated to the printing Presses for publication. Among these scripts are “Shah Hussain” “Punjab Castes” “Sultan Bahu da Kalam” “Ratta Salu” “History of English Literature” “English Punjabi Kosh” “Bule Shah” “Swami Vivekan and” etc “Punjabi Kosh” was sent for pub location about four years ago and only the proofs of 60 pages have been sent to the language depart ment for proof-reading. What is the fate of second volume of this ‘kosh” only the printing department can ‘answer Similarly the ninth and tenth volumes of “Punjabi Vishav Kosh” have not been allocated to printing presses according to the sources
One of the senior officials of the language department said that even if these “Koshs” were now published most of their parts would be useless as facts regarding villages tehsils personalities districts and populations had changed. He related an interesting story in this connection. He said that when third volume of “Punjabi Kosh” was sent for publication late Mrs Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister and entry regarding her had to be made as such. But after some time she was out of power and again the facts regarding this envy were changed. Again when she came back to power a change to this effect was made in the entry. When the Kosh” was published she died. So again the entry had to be corrected. He said no one could imagine what would be the credibility of facts in the books under publication.
There are several writers who are waiting for the publication of their books The language department had already paid them two-third of the total remuneration to be given to them for preparing the Scripts. Perhaps there are also writers who left this world waiting for the publication of their books. Mr Kuldeep Singh Dhir who has written books to provide information regarding new inventions of Science like computer and refrigerator said that he had submitted Scripts of such books about a decade back and after that a lot of improvements had been made on this front. He said that if his scripts were published now these would look so outdated.
When contacted in this connection the Director of the Punjab Language Department Mr Ajit Singh Kakkar said that he had already taken up this issue with the Punjab Education Minister and Other senior official’s concemed.
He said that he was also try of the Printing and Stationery Department. Last year only 46 books had been published by the stationery department he added
A senior writer said that when the Universities and the Education Board could Publish their own books. Why could not the Punjab Language Department do the same by installing its own Printing unit He said that the standard of being printed through the Stationery department was Very poor ang that the government should immediately look into this issue.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 28, 1994
