We were born in the same year, tasted adulthood also at the same time and now both are approaching the ’40s. Still, the love relation continues without hate, yes it is still my first love and probably will be till death. Though I’ve not seen him born in 1976 nor vice versa, I first had a feel of Calcutta Book Fair way back in 1979. A three years old baby can only be with his book lover parents to grasp the essence of a book fair, nothing beyond that. But the seed probably was planted then to become a tree that can go miles away for quality books. Being the junior-most member of my family then, I’ve seen other fairs at that time, like EXPO, LEXPO and so many, but the appeal of Book Fair was so irresistible that I’ve not missed a single one since then.
Those Book Fairs were not like the present ones – with more books ruling the kingdom and dust came as the only competitor; hardly a few food stalls of Benfish & Bijoli Grill were present (unlike nowadays). People used to carry the tiffin and have the same sitting in the sprawling green fields. As a child, where my boundary was till the mini-book library of my father and occasionally the College Street Book Store shelves, Book Fair was more or less like a palace where I can roam from one room to another freely, can play in the long and wide corridor in between. A new world opened in front of mine and I fell in love with books. There was not a single year when all of our hands were not filled up with bags containing books of different generations, tastes, cultures, and subjects. Inevitably, those books used to fight among themselves on the small shelf at home and a yearly promotion of bookshelf was a regular saga.
Honestly, I can’t remember the Calcutta Book Fair held in the small ground opposite to Academy of Fine Arts, close to Victoria Memorial (Now Mohor Kunja, the Citizen’s Park) as probably I went there in the last year of 1976 – 79 span before shifting to the heart of Kolkata, Esplanade. Till 2007, just opposite Park Street with an area of 23 acres (including the General Tank, rechristened as Manohar Das Tarag after renovation), Calcutta Book Fair became an indispensable identity of book lovers every winter. Calcutta by then was known to be the cultural capital for its unconditional love and affection towards art and culture and the same became doubled with Book Fair started to blossom in all aspects. History is in favor of cultured Bengalis always even in 1968 when Bangiya Granthagar Parishad did a small Book Fair at Howrah, probably the first in Bengal and India. Keeping the link, National Book Trust hosted 1st ever World Book Fair in 1972 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi – another first of such level in India. This World Book Fair attracted a fair bit of interest from all over the world as people in Europe & America were not habituated with this type of book browsing, buying & selling concept like the third world. Even Frankfurt Book Fair, the biggest and oldest in the world is also famous for transactions among publishers, agents, distributors, and writers, not for this sort of interaction between the general public and displayed books. Off late, it has also opened the door for people to look and buy books but only for the last 2 days.
Coming back to reminiscing the fantasy of Book Fair, in 1994 Kolkata Book Fair (Yes “Kolkata” as the name changes in 1993) was added to the International calendar of book fair events all over the world and the decision taken in 1980 to host Book Fair from the last Wednesday of January to the second Sunday of February every year received a stamp officially from the International Guild to hold only this span to keep the International status active.
Kolkata Book Fair experienced a couple of unwanted scenarios also. The 1997 Book Fair was gutted due to a blazing fire and thousands of books were burnt alive. But the tears of unlimited book lovers were perhaps far superior to the fire and it came up from ashes to run successfully for 20 days; the longest till date. Next came the ax from Green Movement People who were determined to uproot all the fairs including the Heritage Kolkata Book Fair from the heart of the city so that the pollution level can be controlled. Sadly, despite many efforts, Kolkata Book Fair bid adieu in 2008 and landed at the Eastern Part of Kolkata. But storms were running behind the Book Fair till then and in the small space of Salt Lake Stadium, the 2008 Book Fair was organized. Unfortunately, torrential rain before and in between the Book Fair marred the spirit of culture and tradition. Still, Book Fair came up again next year on a bigger canvas at Milan Mela Ground and seems this is the permanent destination of the Kolkata Book Fair in coming ages.
Personally, 80% of my books are bought from Book Fairs in 35 years keeping in consideration that it offers the lowest discount rate there. But with the yearlong preparation of making a list of books to buy and with some sudden additions also when seen in physical, affordability never came as a hindrance. “Everything can stop, but not education” would only be on paper unless the same is being practiced in real. Indebted to my parents who not only carried me there in my childhood but also for imparting a sense of reading books to learn the world from various angles.
The Book Exhibition started in small school premises in Yorkshire, the UK in 1921 has graduated in such a height that it takes place in almost all the countries of the World in its capacity and more such things can only support the age-old proverb of “Pen is mightier than sword”.
