Nehru Day: JNU calls for Deen Dayal books

New Delhi, November 24

For a book exhibition on Jawaharlal Nehru’s birth anniversary, JNU had some advice for participating publishers: display literature relating to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and BR Ambedkar.

The Dr BR Ambedkar Central Library of Jawaharlal Nehru University sent a mail to all participating publishers on November 10, advising them to display only books published in 2016-17, apart from any book on Ambedkar and Udadhyaya, published anytime.

JNU had organised the day-long exhibition on November 14.

Librarian Ramesh C Gaur, however, said the exhibition had nothing to do with Nehru’s anniversary, and denied that any guidelines were given to the publishers.

Gaur said this was the first time that such a large exhibition had been organised by the university. Sixty vendors and publishers took part in it, he said.

One of the publishers who participated in the exhibition said he had received an official e-mail from JNU which advised them to display books on the Hindutva icon and the Dalit social reformer.

Another official from the library, who sought anonymity, said over 500 books on Ambedkar and Upadhyaya were recommended for procurement by the library.

“Over 1,000 books on social sciences, languages, and international studies were also recommended,” the official said. PTI