Mamata inaugurates International Kolkata Book Fair; praises theme country UK

Inaugurating the International Kolkata Book Fair on Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that relations between India and the UK have spanned over a long time since the Battle of Plassey in 1757.

The UK is the theme country of this 47th edition of the book fair.

Banerjee said since 1757, the British had ruled India till Independence during which several architectural edifices have been constructed by them.

''Many Indian people have either studied in Oxford, Cambridge or the London School of Economics'', she said.

There are so many Indian academicians in the UK now and many are working in companies there, she said.

''They built so many things in India. Their architectural marvels are strong and resilient,'' she said.

The chief minister said, ''I know the alleys of London because when I visited that place, I preferred to walk on the city's roads''.

Banerjee said she had received invitations from a premier UK university which she is likely to visit after June this year.

Reciting Tagore’s verses at the end of her speech, the chief minister said, “Some people believe in self propaganda, projecting themselves as big. But I feel you become big only when people acknowledge your deeds.” Banerjee, however, did not name any political party or individual Nearly 20 countries are participating in this year's book fair which has become a big festival in the metropolis, she added.

The chief minister said she had published 143 books so far and intends to make the figure 150 next year.

British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis, who was the special guest of honour, said the book fair provided an opportunity to share knowledge.

Describing the International Kolkata Book Fair as the second biggest one in the world, and bigger than the London Book Fair, he said there is something magical in this which is one of the biggest carnivals.

Ellis read out lines from a poem by Mamata Banerjee, in which she described the scenic beauty of West Bengal.

Bengal is the land known for its extraordinary people from Rabindranath Tagore to Satyajit Ray to Sourav Ganguly, the diplomat added.

Veteran Bengali writer and Sahitya Akademi award winner Bani Basu was given the lifetime ‘Rama Prasad Goenka CESC Srishti Samman 2024’ for her contribution to literature.