Amid several incidents that have drawn criticism of India for public decency and the apparent lack of civic sense, a new video showing visitors rushing to grab books on the last day of the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026 has sparked outrage on social media.
In the videos circulating online, visitors can be seen rushing to pull books from shelves at a crowded stall. Several visitors claimed that the chaos erupted after a few stalls gave away free books on the closing day, triggering confusion and congestion at the venue.
Sharing the video on X, Shekhar Dutt, a UPSC teacher, wrote, “I’ve doubled down on reading and I’ve stopped sharing what I’m reading or what I’ve read. Because most are not interested in reading. They are only interested in knowing what books you are reading and then collecting them. We are bending over backwards.”
Watch the video here:
I’ve doubled down on reading and I’ve stopped sharing what I’m reading or what I’ve read
Because most are not interested in reading
They are only interested in knowing what books you are reading and then collecting them
We are bending over backwards
— Shekhar Dutt (@DuttShekhar) January 19, 2026
The incident sparked backlash over public conduct and crowd management at one of India’s largest literary events.
“There is a saying “Readers don’t steal, and thieves don’t read”,” a user reacted. “Basic civic sense is a myth in India. Just like helping is a myth overseas,” another user commented.
“So much love for books (free) and so little respect for them.Proof that education doesn’t always arrive with etiquette and self respect,” a third user reacted. “Sad to see this.. Heartbreaking. Think of the writers and the publishers! The ones who actually read, never steal,” a fourth user said.
The New Delhi World Book Fair 2026 (NDWBF 2026) concluded on January 18 at Bharat Mandapam, featuring more than 1,000 publishers from over 35 countries. The fair was inaugurated by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, along with the culture ministers of Qatar and Spain.
The 54th edition of the book fair will be held from January 16, 2027, to January 24, 2027.
