An uncomfortable opinion about piracy, poverty, and who really needs our money.

An uncomfortable opinion about piracy, poverty, and who really needs our money.

Before I say anything else, let me be clear: I support indie authors. I buy books from bookstores. I recommend lesser-known writers. I genuinely believe authors deserve to be paid for their work, and I understand why people are strongly against piracy.

But every time this conversation comes up, I find myself thinking about the people we don't talk about.

The old uncle standing on the side of the road selling books. The man outside the metro station carrying stacks of novels on his shoulders. The vendor sitting in the heat for hours, hoping someone stops.

Maybe this is controversial, but I don't think a bestselling author needs my ₹700 more than that uncle needs the ₹200 he earns from a sale.

And before anyone misunderstands me, this isn’t because I don’t value authors, i do but i also value people.

Because according to me, poverty is a bigger problem than piracy.

There is an uncle in Vaishali Market who sells books. I've bought a few from him over the years. Every time I see him, he looks exhausted. Alone. Like life hasn't been particularly kind to him. I'm pretty sure he's struggling with more than just money.

When I buy a book from him, I'm not making a statement about publishing. I'm helping a person.

That money may be insignificant to a bestselling author with millions of copies sold.

For him, it might be lunch. It might be dinner. It might be the only sale he makes that day.

So, I will continue supporting indie authors. I will continue buying books from bookstores. I will continue believing that writers deserve fair compensation.

But I will probably keep stopping at those roadside book stalls too. Not because I think piracy is right.

But because I cannot look at someone who might be worrying about his next meal and convince myself that my biggest moral concern in that moment should be a lost sale from an author who is already financially secure.

You may disagree with me, and that's okay.

But if I have to choose what keeps me up at night, it won't be piracy. It will always be poverty.