International Day of Education: This Vasai bookseller has beaten odds to push students to read

When Kuldeep Kolhe lost his job due to the economic crisis in 2008, the future looked uncertain. During one of the many walks he would take in that difficult period, somebody he met on the streets of Churchgate suggested that he start selling books. Back then, the digital boom was only in its nascent stages and physical books were still in demand. That is how the jewellery craftsman took to selling pearls of wisdom outside the Vasai railway station.

Twelve years later in 2020,another hurdle appeared in the form of pandemic lockdowns, but the 39-year-old had learned to adapt with the times. While fiction and non-fiction books are the mainstay at Kolhe's stall, he decided to expand into stationery sales to meet more needs of students. Now, as things have opened up in full swing, his wife handles the new business, while the Nallasopara resident comes to Vasai to run his cherished bookstall.

Over the years, Kolhe, who hails from Amravati, has sold from various spots around the train station but has found a permanent place now a few paces away from the exit, at a building owned by an avid reader. He is the go-to man in the area for students interested in picking up the latest self-improvement, science-fiction or thriller title.

Signs of changing times
The location is ideal for Kolhe as it is not only visited by students from nearby colleges and curious bystanders but also by people who are just about to board the autorickshaw. At his stall, Kolhe stocks as many as 500 books, which are available in the English, Hindi and Marathi languages, starting at Rs 100."Earlier, I used to get readers who were interested in love stories and crime books but over the years, that trend has changed, especially after the pandemic." He says more people now want to read about start-ups, motivational and self-help books.

This has even made him change the way he positions his books at his stall. While earlier he used to have some interesting popular titles including the likes of Khalid Hosseini and Hussain Zaidi, now popular books such as ‘Ikigai' and ‘Do Epic Shit' are seen at the front. More people prefer to read foreign authors over their Indian counterparts today, or authors that are actively promoting their books on social media, he observes. Kolhe himself also finds solace in a popular financial literacy book - ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad' by Robert T. Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter.

Covid-19 and the digital future
Like many other businesses, the Covid-19 pandemic, which fast-tracked the digital boom, affected his business. The blows of 2016's demonetisation had lingered too. Kolhe admits that while he was initially scared about whether he would be able to continue or have to shut his business, he doesn't think about it anymore and will cross that bridge when it comes.

"My business was good till 2019 before the pandemic but reduced after that. However, it is picking up since 2022. While I used to sell 50-60 copies a day earlier, I now sell about 20-25 copies a day," he says. Kolhe says he is all about encouraging the reading habit among youngsters. "Most of my customers are young college students, who don't have the money. So, I give them the book for Rs 100 and give back 50 per cent of that amount when they return it. There is no time limit on that," he explains. While the rates may differ now, he has been following a similar approach ever since he started the bookstall.

Student-first approach
Kolhe shares that it isn't always easy for students and aspiring writers. While small-time authors in the city keep books with him, they don't always sell. However, they are happy to grab at least a few eyeballs along the way. On the other hand, students who hope to write or are struggling to get published sometimes ask him for advice or share trials and tribulations such as how their stories were stolen. The ones who have been able to self-publish, insist on taking the money from him only after he has managed to sell their books and never before that.

Every time, life has thrown Kolhe a challenge, he has adapted to come out of it. Even as he faces stiff competition from online retailers, the Mumbaikar is boosting his digital services too - he tells clients to ‘WhatsApp' him the cover of any book and he will source it for them. When students thank him for lending them books, from which they get newer perspectives on life, Kolhe feels fulfilled. Interestingly, he hasn't read most of these books. "They (students) say I have a lot of knowledge about books but actually I don't. I have been learning from the customers who buy from me every day, and tell me about them."