Bengaluru: Booker win sparks surge in demand for Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp, Kannada original
Bengaluru: Following veteran Kannada writer Banu Mushtaq’s historic win at the International Booker Prize for her short story collection Heart Lamp: Selected Stories (translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi), bookstores across Bengaluru are witnessing a sharp rise in demand for both the English translation and the original Kannada edition.
According to Deccan Herald, The Bookworm on Church Street sold over 70 copies of the book on Wednesday alone. “We have also received orders from cities like Nagpur, Mumbai, Pune, and Delhi,” said Krishna Gowda, proprietor of Bookworm.
At Beetle Book Shop in Vijayanagar, Dhananjay began receiving customer inquiries as early as 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday. With a largely Kannada-reading customer base, the demand for the original Kannada version has outpaced the English translation. The shop sold over fifty copies and is receiving orders from across India, including Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, as well as from the United States.
“The Kannada book is priced at Rs 750, if it was less than Rs 300, which is usually the price of most Kannada books, the sales would have been much higher,” DH quoted Dhananjay as saying. Additionally, many new readers unfamiliar with Kannada literature are now placing orders.
At the iconic Blossoms Book House on Church Street, sales spiked soon after the book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, who are also receiving inquiries about the Kannada version as well.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah congratulated Banu Mushtaq on her international recognition. “This is a time to celebrate Kannada, Kannadigas and Karnataka. I wish she would continue to write meaningfully for many more years and spread the vibe of Kannada to the world,” the CM posted on X.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
