Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha emphasized the importance of giving books as gifts during the inauguration of the 42nd Agartala Book Fair at the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay stage at the International Fair Ground in Hapania on Wednesday evening.
“The feeling that comes from books cannot be found in any other medium. Therefore, the importance of books is immense even in the current technology era,” said Dr. Saha.
The Chief Minister acknowledged that many things have changed with time, and the craze for books may have somewhat diminished due to advanced technology.
“Thanks to technology, books now flow effortlessly onto computer screens,” said Dr. Saha, reflecting on the impact of technological advancements.
Recalling his childhood memories, the Chief Minister mentioned the excitement surrounding book publications and the long queues forming in front of Birchandra State Central Library to read new books.
Emphasizing the idea of giving more books as gifts, Dr. Saha highlighted that such a practice would not only encourage publishers and writers but also speed up the habit of reading books.
Expressing hope that the book fair would inspire people to read more, the Chief Minister inaugurated the event where 191 stalls were opened. These included 110 stalls from Tripura, 66 stalls from West Bengal, 6 stalls from Assam, 2 stalls from Uttar Pradesh, and 2 stalls from Delhi. Additionally, 5 stalls came from Bangladesh.
Guests of honor at the event included Tripura Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Ram Prasad Pal, Chief Whip Kalyani Saha Roy, Mayor of AMC Dipak Majumder and Arif Mohammad, Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Agartala.
