JALPAIGURI: The ‘Uttorer Hawa’ Sahitya Festival and Little Magazine Fair was flagged off in Jalpaiguri on Friday by Education minister Bratya Basu. The festival has been organised by the Bangla Sahitya Academy and the Jalpaiguri District Information and Culture Department at Jalpaiguri Art Gallery.
“Since Independence, except Mamata Banerjee no other Chief Minister has done so much for North Bengal. I have used two words to describe the weather of North Bengal and named it as ' Uttorer Hawa ' (Northern Wind). It will become the largest literature fair of North Bengal. This fair started by giving priority to the language of North Bengal.”
On the other hand, without naming the BJP-run Central government, the minister stated: “They are constantly trying to push the idea of one region, one language. I want to remind them that our Constitution is made on the basis of different languages, different religions, and different food habits.” added Basu.
“We have sent a proposal to the Education minister to organise a fair next year like this at Dinhata of Cooch Behar district,”stated Udayan Guha, minister of North Bengal Development.
The fair started on Friday and will continue for three days. Poets and writers from various districts of Bengal and the students from different schools of the city were present at the opening ceremony. Along with Bratya Basu, North Bengal Development minister Udayan Guha also attended the inaugural ceremony. The program started with the songs of North Bengal.