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Bengali Book Fair begins this weekend

The ninth Bengali Book Fair is being organised at the West Bengal Pavilion in Delhi’s Pragati Maidan. To be inaugurated by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday, the fair will be open till December 30.

Popularly known as “Boi Mela”, the fair will include cultural events, competitions for children such as debates and elocutions and other activities to enlighten youngsters on the world of books.

Since Bengali literature is an essential part of the Bengali ethos, a series of ‘Face to Face’ events with eminent artistes have been organised. Visitors to the fair will include Bengali actor and poet Soumitra Chatterjee, prominent writer Sunil Gangopadhyay and Ananda and Sahitya Akademi Award winner Sudhir Chakraborty, who will deliver a lecture on ‘Music and Globalisation’.

As part of the fair, an interaction with Baby Halder, a woman who had come to Delhi to work as a domestic help and ended up writing her autobiography, has also been organised.

Since almost 50 per cent of the Bengali-speaking population in the Capital lives in resettlement areas, the last day of the fair will see a coming together of these people to share their experiences in a programme titled ‘Their Story’.

Another area of focus will be science and a collaboration with several organisations such as Paschim Banga Vigyan Mancha, National Science Centre, Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium and the Central Department of Science and Technology has been forged to put together ‘Vigyan Vichitra: A Festival of Science Communication’.

The various topics covered under science will include anti-superstition activities, food adulteration and environment protection.

Kunal Diwan

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