CBSE notice biased, say book sellers

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 20

Scores of textbook sellers from across Punjab assembled here today to register a protest against the CBSE circular which mandates NCERT books in schools and stops schools from forcing parents for purchase of books from private dealers.

The sellers, who converged here under the banner ‘Books Trade Association, Punjab’, registered a protest against the CBSE’s decision, with many terming it as ‘biased’. Dinesh Goyal, president, Association of School Books, Punjab, said, “The arbitrary decision of the CBSE of not allowing students to buy books from private book dealers will wreck the livelihood of lakhs of people throughout the country.”

“Thousands of people are in this profession which basically thrives on selling CBSE books to school students. If we are not allowed to sell these text books, we will have to shut down our businesses. This is grossly unfair. The CBSE should take a re-look at its decision otherwise we will be doomed,” he said.

The sellers said if the CBSE did not revoke its decision, they would be forced to resort to an agitation.