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Raise voice for democracy, says Mamata Banerjee

Chief minister calls out hate speech in her address at Book Fair inauguration

Kinsuk Basu Kolkata Published 31.01.23, 08:05 AM
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurates the 46th International Calcutta Book Fair at Central Park in Salt Lake on Monday afternoon.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurates the 46th International Calcutta Book Fair at Central Park in Salt Lake on Monday afternoon. Bishwarup Dutta

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said voices must be raised to protect democracy and that she condemned any form of hate speech.

“We must raise our voice to protect democracy, not only for political reasons. Let us think of our history, the original history, of our fundamental and democratic rights, the rights of the people,” Mamata said while inaugurating the 46th edition of the International Kolkata Book Fair at Central Park in Salt Lake.

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“We want that type of thinking — the government of the people, by the people and for the people and not hate speech. I condemn hate speech,” she said. “Hate speeches should be blacked out. Let us be polite.”

The chief minister was speaking around the same time when Rahul Gandhi was addressing a crowd at the Sher-i-Kashmir stadium on Monday afternoon at the end of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Congress leader said in Srinagar that he didn’t walk for himself or the Congress but for the people of the country.

Mamata said that in the existing system, negativity had become a way of thinking. “Why should I only think negative? Let us speak of unity, the unity of the world. We want to fight hunger and poverty,” Mamata said.

Six books penned by Mamata are slated for release in this fair. One of them is titled Amader Sambidhan O Kichu Kotha (Our Constitution and a Few Words).

“I am too small a person — ‘khudro manush’ — and people may not like me. It’s quite possible. I’m not above criticism. I’m happy to be criticised because of the learning that it brings,” the chief minister said.

Jey tomay kharap boley boluk. Tumi bolo na. Etai amader sikshya. (Let someone abuse you. You don’t. This is our training).”

Sharing the dais with the chief minister was Mara José Gálvez Salvador from the Spanish ministry of culture and sports and Jose Maria Ridao Domínguez, Spain’s ambassador to India. Spain is the theme country for this edition of the fair, which will continue till February 12.

Around 20 countries and 14 Indian states will be represented in the fair. There will be around 900 stalls, the highest in the fair’s history.

About 22 lakh people visited the fair last year and books worth Rs 23 crore were sold.

Aware of the possibility that the turnout this year is likely to go up, the chief minister urged transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty to ensure that there are enough of buses for the visitors to return home.

“We have tried our best to create the necessary infrastructure for the book fair. I would request the transport minister to ensure more availability of buses for book lovers to return,” Mamata said.

East-West Metro will run additional trains on the fair days. Police said additional space has been made ready to park vehicles.

Green norm

The state pollution control board has written to the secretary of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, the organisers of the Book Fair, asking it to comply with the environmental norms, particularly those related to plastic bags, noise and solid waste management.

“We have asked the agency responsible for setting up microphones to abide by the noise limit and are also trying to discourage the use of plastic,” guild president Sudhanshu Sekhar Dey said.

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