Maktaba Jamia: The Publishing Giant of JMI is Dying

Maktaba Jamia Limited – the university press of Jamia Millia Islamia, founded in 1922 is taking its last breath. Once it used to have more than 5 outlets in different parts of the country and published more than 6,000 books, but is now fighting for its survival. During the tenure of the Vice Chancellor Najeeb Jung and Prof. Talat Ahmad, all the departments were ordered to purchase stationery and printing materials only from the Maktaba. The university spends lakhs of rupees every year to print the books of Jamia distance courses. At the same time, the university’s own printing press is dying.

‘Maktaba Jamia Limited’, the university press of Jamia Millia Islamia is taking its last breaths. The Maktaba was founded by Dr. Zakir Hussain, one of the founders and former Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia (hereafter Jamia), New Delhi in 1922. The idea to establish the Maktaba came when the then Chancellor of Jamia, Hakim Ajmal Khan spoke about the importance of mother tongue during his speech on the first convocation of Jamia. Later, Jamia adopted Urdu as its medium of study as its founders strongly advocated for education, in the university, to be free from British influence and only to be in an Indian language. It was decided that Urdu would be the medium of study in Jamia, but implementing it was a challenging task. There were very few textbooks, literature or other books available in Urdu. To meet this demand, Jamia established its own university press, like the Oxford University Press. Jamia Maktaba published more than 6,000 books which includes both– original and translated works. It has published several works by notable figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, former President Dr. Zakir Hussain, Jawahar Lal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Abid Hussain, Mujeeb Ahmed and Munshi Prem Chand as well. Jamia Maktaba has translated and published 13 books of Rabindranath Tagore between 2013 and 2015 which were not limited to Gitanjali or Baghban and were sold to students and scholars. The famous novel of Munshi Premchand, Godaan was also published in Urdu for the first time by Jamia Maktaba and it holds the copyright of Godaan. At its zenith, Jamia Maktaba had its branches in Delhi, Mumbai, Aligarh, Hyderabad and Lahore (before partition). 

During the bloodshed of partition, the Maktaba was set on fire when it was in Karol Bagh. Then it shifted to its present location in Okhla, New Delhi. Maktaba Jamia Ltd. is registered as a limited company and Jamia Millia Islamia holds 92% of the total share. During the tenure of the Vice Chancellor Najeeb Jung, all the departments were ordered to purchase stationery and printing materials only from Maktaba. The same was continued during VC Prof. Talat Ahmed’s tenure. Because of this, Maktaba was able to create revenue and was able to pay the salary of its staff. The university spends lakhs of rupees every year to print the books of Jamia distance courses. But now, the books for Jamia’s distance courses are being printed from a private publishing house. The university’s own printing press is dying. During the Covid -19 pandemic, Maktaba Jamia stopped the publication of their famous magazine Payame Taleem. A few years ago, the Maktaba’s branch located in Bhendi Bazar, Mumbai was asked by the Jamia authorities to take the accounts and revenue files to Delhi. Everyone feared that it may close soon. The news sparked among the Urdu lovers in the city. Many Urdu lovers, writers and journalists held a press conference at the doorstep of Maktaba’s outlet. It was saved due to their relentless efforts. Recently, the Mumbai branch organised an Iftar Party at the outlet for all the booklovers and writers.

In Delhi, it had two branches– in the Jamia campus (near Gate No. 4) and in Urdu Bazar, Purani Dilli (Old Delhi). In 2023, news surfaced that Jamia Maktaba had permanently closed without prior notice. The sole staff member running the shop retired that year, leading to its closure. A kebab counter was opened outside the closed shop. Many literature lovers including senior Urdu journalist Masoom Moradabadi and the writer-blogger Mayank Austen raised their protest against the sudden and unannounced closure of the Maktaba. It was alleged that Jamia administration has neglected such an important institution which was not only publishing books but also generating revenue for the university. The news of the closure was circulated widely. 

Next day, Firoz Bakht Ahmed, a retired teacher and former Chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University, who is also the grandnephew of freedom fighter and first education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, personally went to meet the Vice Chancellor of Jamia. He requested the VC office to appoint him to serve the Maktaba on a salary of Rs.1 per month only. Later, news came that the Maktaba has been reopened. Recently, I enquired about the Maktaba through one of my friends who lives in Purani Dilli (Old Delhi). He said: “ab to band hi rehta hai ye” (It just stays closed now). The second outlet in Delhi i.e. in the university campus is surviving just as a centre of books for the entrance exams. New students hardly know it as an outlet of Maktaba Jamia. The head office of Maktaba Jamia Limited situated at Gate No. 18 of the university has been closed for several months now. The signboard at the front of the building describes it as the “largest centre for scientific, literary, cultural and religious books”. However, the worn out walls, aged windows and faded paint of the building reveal the present condition of the Maktaba. A small CNG-powered pickup vehicle parked in the premises of the office is still waiting for its operator.

An alumnus of JMI, Danish Sheikh filed an RTI seeking for the funds allotted to Maktaba Jamia in the last five years. In its reply, JMI said “no fund has been allotted to the Maktaba Jamia in the last five years”. This shows the effort incurred by the university to save its heritage. Jamia Millia Islamia spends lakhs of rupees for publication of different magazines, prospectus, books for distance and open courses, answer sheets, banners and posters for different events. These rupees are enough to save the Maktaba from dying if any order may be passed like Vice Chancellor Najeeb Jung did, by asking all the departments to purchase stationery and printing materials only from Maktaba. Maktaba Jamia Limited is not just an ordinary press, it is our heritage, our past and one of the pillars of Jamia.

Md Afan Abdullah is a student pursuing Law from Jamia Millia Islamia.

Edited by: Nausheen Ali Nizami

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of The Jamia Review or its members.