Assam Book Fair (2022-23) begins with fanfare among booklovers in the region on Thursday. Jointly organised by Publication Board Assamand All Assam Publishers & Book Sellers Association at Assam EngineeringInstitute playground in Chandmari locality of the city, Asom Granthamela wasinaugurated by the reputed Indonesian performing poet Tara Noesantara on 29December.

She appreciated the culture of book reading among the common peoplein this part of the world and later performed a poetic cultural show along witha co-artiste with traditional Indonesian flavour.The inaugural ceremony also witnessed the release of 15valuable books, published by the State publication board, in presence of Assamgovernment’s education department-adviser Dr. Noni Gopal Mahanta, eminent authorDr. Govinda Prasad Sarma, State publication board vice-chairman Sumanta Chaliha,secretary Pramod Kalita, publishers & booksellers association presidentNagen Sarma, former president Imran Ahmed, etc.

Prestigious Asom PrakashanParishad Sahitya Bota-22 was presented to Assamese author Dr. Pranabjyoti Dekain the same function, where Ranjan Sarma, publisher of the collection of Dr. Pranabjyoti Deka’s best stories, was also awarded.The splendid book fair, which will be open for bookappreciators and common people till 9 January 2023 next, has given space toover 150 book stalls (publishers) from northeast India along with Kolkata, NewDelhi, and Punjab, where 10 publication houses from neighboring Bangladesh are alsotaking part. A number of events relating to new book releases and literarydiscussions are scheduled in the 12-day festival where every evening theaudience will be enthralled by performing artistes.

The cultural programs onthe first day, where a number of young people took part, were directed bypopular artistes Manoj Barua and Purabi Sarma. The publication board, which was created by the Stategovernment in 1958 with the aims of sponsoring, encouraging, and assisting inthe literary field of activities, had organised Guwahati Book Fair in the citysince the Eighties where the then publication secretary and eminent authorChandra Prasad Saikia took the lead from the front.

Lately, the State publishers& booksellers association used to organise North East Book Fair in Guwahati.Last year, State chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took an initiative to mergeboth book fairs into one, and thus Asom Grantha Mela was born in 2021. Meanwhile, it has been expanded to other localities of Assam namely Dhemaji, Jorhat, andBongaigaon.Speaking to this writer, publication secretary Kalitainformed that the first edition of the Assam Book Fair was a successful initiativeas it did a brisk business of around Rs five crore despite the Covid-19guidelines.

This time, he stated that there are no specific corona restrictionstill now, but the organisers remain in touch with the government for anyadvisories. The closing ceremony will be addressed by State education ministerand publication board chairman Dr. Ranoj Pegu with a number of dignitaries.