A store with a conscience

“The bookstore is a place of solace for many, including me. It is a place where you can find books that you have been looking for, and also discover new ones.” Delhi Univrsity student Khushi finds solace in a small bookshop near her college. It offers pre-owned books with hidden stories and memories of previous owners. Run by Sisters of the People, it has thousands of books, including rare and treasured ones, at discounted prices. The earnings are used to operate 12 balwadis for underprivileged pre-schoolers, making it a place of solace for many.

Delhi University student Khushi Garg, finds solace in a small, cosy bookshop situated near her college, where she is studying English literature. Staying away from her family in Sahranpur, UP, she says, the pre-owned books available here give her a sense of comfort; as every book carries hidden stories and memories of its previous owner.

“I came across a book with a lovely hand written note on the back cover flap. It said, Dearest Aadhya, I remember this is your favourite book. Another said, May god bless us all. The short notes carried love and prayers and it made me feel connected,” she says

Khushi says she has bought several books at this charity store, run by Sisters of the People, in Lajpat Nagar. “The volunteers are friendly and always help you find books, with a smile. I feel at home here; buying books is not hard on the pocket as there are good discounts offered.”

Simply called Bookshop for a Cause, there are thousands of books, including some rare and treasured ones, that have journeyed through places and emotions before finding a space on these steel racks of the store located inside the Lajpat Bhavan.

Sisters of the People is an extension of the Delhi chapter of Servants of the People Society (SPS), a non-profit organization which was founded by Lala Lajpat Rai in 1921. Inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi and originally established in Lahore, the SPS was shifted to Delhi after Partition .

The bookstore came up in the year 2000 with people donating books from their personal collections; and over the years it has built up an enviable number of fiction, non-fiction, classics, biographies, poetry and popular literature.

“We have books signed by the authors and several first editions as well,” says Manisha Bedi, management professor at YMCA, who volunteers at the bookstore. “The books are usually sold at 50% to 60% discount of the MRP and our young visitors are often thrilled to pick up classics such as Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Naseeruddin Shah’s memoirs at prices they can afford,” she says, and adds, ”Urdu and Hindi readers also find their favourite books from Amrita Pritam, Munshi Premchand and Jeelani Bano to Gulzar.