Speak about unity, peace & prosperity, shun negativity: Mamata at Book Fair

KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday condemned hate speeches and urged people to be polite while inaugurating the 46th International Kolkata Book Fair at Boi Mela Pragnan in Salt Lake.

Speaking about unity, Banerjee said: “I condemn hate speech. Negativity is a thought process. Let us speak about unity, peace, and prosperity. I am in favour of free speech, but let’s be polite and speak positively about each other,” she said.

Calling books the ‘lifelines of the world’, she said: “The other name of the book is life. Books help us to know, learn and invent. Till the day we are alive, we will continue to learn.”

She inaugurated the 46th Kolkata Book Fair along with Maria Jose Galvez Salvador, Director General for Books of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Spain, HE Jose Maria Ridao Dominguez, Ambassador of Spain to India, Luis Garcia Montero, director of Instituto Cerventes and eminent Bengali author Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, who was conferred with the lifetime achievement CESC RPG Sristi Samman. Ministers Sujit Bose, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Aroop Biswas, Babul Supriyo, Bidhannagar Mayor Krishna Chakraborty, Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Goyal, Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Gaurav Sharma, artist Shuvaprasanna and poet Subhodh Sarkar were also present. The students of Techno India Group Public School Hooghly presented the inaugural song.

The Publishers & Booksellers Guild thanked the Chief Minister for providing Kolkata Book Fair with its permanent address at Boi Mela Pragnan. “After 46 years, the International Kolkata Book Fair got its permanent venue, thanks to our CM,” said Tridib Chatterjee, honorary general secretary, Guild.

Banerjee said that given the large space at Boi Mela Pragnan, Kolkata Book Fair is expected to draw more people than in the last two years. “Space is very precious. Since a large crowd pours in every day at the book fair, adequate space was necessary. Last year, despite Covid, there was a sale of Rs 24 crore and nearly 23 lakh people visited the book fair. This year, we know the numbers will be more,” she said.

“Kolkata for the next few days will be the centre of literature in the world. We will offer rich and diverse Spanish literature and culture at the book fair,” she said.

Touched by the presence of the Spanish delegation at the book fair, Banerjee said Spain is her “favourite country” and if she ever visits the country to reciprocate the partnership, Guild members - Tribid and Sudhangshu Sekhar Dey – will accompany her.

She also asked the Guild to organise a Bengali book fair in Delhi where all the districts would participate.