AT Photo
Silchar, Dec 12: Aman Srivastav, a class-X student, college goers Sunanda Borah and Srijani Dey and many other youngsters and their parents looked thoroughly overjoyed at the ten-day long Assam Book Fair, 2023 in Silchar.
When quizzed about their responses on the Fair, they outrightly echoed, “Such a scale of Book Fair must be held every year for us to quench our thirst for good books.”
Teachers from various schools and colleges who accompanied their students to participate in various competitive events also shared similar reactions as the Fair, organised by the Publication Board Assam and All Assam Publishers and Book Sellers Association concluded on Sunday evening in the presence of Silchar MLA Dipayan Chakraborty, former registrar of Assam University Silchar Prof Niranjan Dutta, veteran academician and noted folk researcher Dr Amalendu Bhattacharjee, Cachar SP Numal Mahatta, Promod Kalita, secretary Publication Board Assam and Dhiraj Goswami, general secretary of the All Assam Publishers and Book Sellers Association.
Recollecting the rich history of book fairs being hosted in Silchar over the years, Dipayan Chakraborty appreciated the efforts of the organisers of the Assam Book Fair for the first time in Silchar and urged for another Book Fair of an even bigger scale. A comprehensive effort towards sensitising the book lovers will enhance footfall in Book Fair in the coming year.
Claiming that the Book Fair, barring two days of rain, was largely successful considering the response from the book lovers in Silchar and across Barak Valley, Promod Kalita said that the sale of books registered an encouraging response to the tune of over Rs 25 lakhs. He reminded that the fair was organised following the suggestions of honourable Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma to organise the Fair outside Guwahati.
Cachar SP Numal Mahatta said that the last ten days were an eventful occasion for the intellectual fraternity of the town and they must have experienced an intellectual magnetic feel at the book fair.
In the words of Prof Niranjan Roy, while the world is watching India now, language cannot be a divisive factor for people and the focus must be on a learner centric education system of which such Book Fairs are excellent examples.
Terming that there is absolutely no cultural differences between people of Barak and Brahmaputra valleys, Dr Amalendu Bhattacharjee urged the organisers to explore possibilities of an exhibition on the rich history of publications in the future endeavours here.
