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33rd Kolkata Bookfair – the Fair(y) Tale
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Milan Mela Prangon – West Bengal Government’s deliberate attempt to establish a specific site for the fairs and major events, more precisely, to make a Pragati Maidan for Kolkata. On Jan 28, 2009, 33rd Kolkata Bookfair announced its arrival at the Milan Mela ground. Despite the differences among people regarding the venue, the fair continued to run in its own pace. |
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But life moves on, thus, human beings remodel themselves to retain the pace of the life. Reflecting this conceit, the attendance record of the fair showed the love and affection of the commoners of the city for the fair. People flooded in the fair ground especially on Saturdays and Sundays. Through out the fair Obama stood waving to incalculable people facing this year’s theme Scotland (Never the less, the cue in front of him for photographs was elongated).
The dusty canopy over the ground, the innumerable heads, the screaming voices of booksellers, amazed pairs of tiny eyes, smell of the covers of the books, scent floating in from the food corner were all the same. The picture of college and university fellows sitting with guitar and playing with the strings and newly appreciated emotions was scanty this time, thanks to the insufficient room. The fair retained its warmth but the organizers to some extent failed to provide the booklovers the ultimate contentment. The skeleton was thinner but the soul was indeed the same. Thus, with the concluding bell of this year’s fair, began the wait for the next one. |
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Contributor Pallabi Chakraborty has become our creative observer of events of Calcutta. She contributed since Pentasect’s first release. She can be contacted at pallabi_0011@yahoo.com
Editorial Note: On the Last Day – a sunday, I have been coming back from Calcutta to further East. From the Bye-Pass, I looked at the venue and from a distance – it looked like an ancient military camp with people, carriers, dust, lights, tent like objects and a dim roar as if thousand hooves are scratching the dust beneath !