The ongoing imbroglio over the clash of two Book fairs at Guwahati have been resolved as the North East Book Fair today accepted the Government proposal of joing hands to jointly organize the Guwahati Book fair.
As per the decisions the North east book fair, Guwahati Book fair and the Children book fair would be organized at the stipulated dates in the Assam Enginering Institute field, Chandmari.
Earlier the All Assam Publishers and Booksllers Association has requested Dispur to let them organize the 20th Northeast Book Fair at the Assam Engineering Institute (AEI) playground from November 1 to 20.
The warring North East Book fair organizers and the Government backed Guwahati Book Fair today met at the behest of the Assam Education Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya, where some social leaders like Haidar Hussain and Ajay Dutta were also present.
The State Government offered the North East Book fair for joint hosting of the Guwahati Book fair, which the North East Book fair organizers have accepted.
This was today announced by Assam Publication Board secretary Pramod kalita. Adviser to Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami was also present there.
The North east Book fair boycotted the Guwahati Book fair last time and was on the roads alleging that state government had blocked the venue.
Today's meeting however removed all the barriers, even as Government stuck to its stand and only offered joint hosting. The Government also warned the North East book fair never resort to any boycott call.
Meanwhile the Assam Publication Board has undertaken a scheme to promote and publish more books. Under this particular scheme, the Board will publish and re-publish more than 100 books during 2018-19 and also organize five book fairs in addition to the Brahmaputra Sahitya Utsav.
The Board will be organizing a book fair in the tea garden area of Sonitpur district from November 1-4, Children's Book Fair in the city from November 11-14, Guwahati Book Fair on December 22, Gramin Book Fair at Barbari in Nalbari district from January 21-24 next year and the Brahmaputra Sahitya Utsav at the Srimanta Sankaradev Kalakshetra in the city from February 9-11 next year. The Board, in the presence of state education minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya, has also decided to organize a book fair in Majuli in Jorhat districtfrom February 25 next year.
Apart from this, the Board will also organize various literary programmes in collaboration with different organizations of indigenous communities of the state during these book fairs, stated a press release. In order to enable book publishers and distributers to earn more profits, the Board has also decided not to charge them any fee for participation in the fair in Nalbari and the Children's Book Fair in Guwahati. Moreover, no entry fee will be charged from people visiting all the five book fairs.
