[Assam] 12-day NE Book Fair from Dec 7 (The Assam Tribune, 04.10.2007)

[Buljit Buragohain]

12-day NE Book Fair from Dec 7
By A City Reporter
 GUWAHATI, Oct 3 – The 9th Northeast Book Fair, 2007 will be held at the Sonaram School Playground, Bharalumukh, Guwahati from December 7 to December 18.

The All Assam Publishers and Book Sellers’ Association, organising body of the book fair, selected its public advisory committee at a general meeting at the Press Club here recently.

Presiding over the meeting, Giripada Dev Choudhury of the Publishers and Book Sellers’ Association said that seven sister states of the North East and Sikkim will participate in the fair. “Ashok Vajpayee, noted Hindi litterateur will be the chief guest of the occasion and Majuli has been selected as the theme of the fair this time,” he said. 

The need of a spacious ground to hold the book fair was once again strongly felt on the occasion and participants of the meeting urged the government to open the Judges’ Field for public use, once again. “The city is badly lacking an open space in the central area to hold such fairs after a ban on public functions in the Judges’ Field. Open spaces located in the outer part of the city fail to draw the desirable crowd,” he added. 

The newly elected advisory committee has Dr Satyendranath Goswami as its president, Khanindra Chandra Das as the executive president, Biren Kataki, Dr Jagadish Patgiri, Abhijit Borthakur, Dr Dipti Phukan Patgiri, and Samudragupta Kashyap as vice-presidents, Ismail Hussain as secretary, Rajiv Bora and Bibhash Das as assistant secretary. Dr Lakshminandan Bora, Pabitra Kr Deka, Ashish Dey and Badan Barua are the advisors of the committee. 

Speaking on the occasion, Ismail Hussain, member of the advisory committee said that along with the organisors, the State government should also take steps to popularise book-reading habits among the people. “The Chief Minister’s scheme to buy books worth Rs 10 crore for the public libraries should also be executed soon,” he said. “It is not enough to advertise and write in the newspapers, rather a more vocal campaign should be launched through the loudspeakers in the city and its outskirts,” he opined. 

He also said that the tribal languages of the State and the region should also get a platform in the book fair. 

Pranab Jyoti Deka, while speaking on the occasion, said that to make the book fair a success, its commercial aspect should also be emphasised. “A total reorientation of the book fair is necessary in today’s context. A new approach should be evolved and those books and participants should be invited in the fair, which are not available in the city,” he added. 

Dr Lakhinandan Bora advised that if the books are invited from the publications considering the age groups and income group of the book lovers of the city, is could help to boost up the popularity of the fair. 

   
  (The Assam Tribune,04.10.2007)



       
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