Kolkata: The Bengal BJP is planning to challenge the “dominating presence” of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild at the International Kolkata Book Fair and promote alternative organisations of publishers and stakeholders as the mega event enters its 50th year in Jan next year.The Bangiya Granthashilpa Parishad, a BJP-backed organisation, will host a meeting of publishers and booksellers at Mahajati Sadan on June 29 to mark the birth anniversary of novelist Buddhadeb Guha. Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya, senior RSS functionary Jishnu Basu, and several poets and authors are expected to attend.“There are around 13 organisations similar to the Publishers and Booksellers Guild. The book fair is a collective event, and everyone should have a voice now,” said Bengal BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar.Party-aligned think tanks have already advocated for a more liberal approach within the publication industry. Proposals before the state govt also include supporting state-run bookshops in districts and encouraging public libraries to diversify their purchasing budgets.“The character of the book fair during the Left Front regime was to impose a distinct thought process on the people. During the Trinamool regime, it became all about books written by Mamata Banerjee. For five decades, there has been a trend to impose a singular pattern of thought,” Sarkar alleged.Guild general secretary Tridib Chatterjee welcomed the Parishad’s initiative to celebrate Guha’s 90th birth anniversary. “Buddhadeb Guha did not get the recognition he deserved during his lifetime. We are happy that his 90th birthday is being celebrated,” Chatterjee said.Guild president Sudhangshu De recalled his long association with the late author, noting that his publication house had brought out many of Guha’s works. “We are delighted that his birthday is being celebrated,” he added.
