'Free' book fair organised in northern Assam to encourage reading habit

North Lakhimpur (Assam), Dec 7 (PTI) A book fair was organised in a rural area in northern Assam on Sunday, where books were distributed for free among people to encourage the habit of reading, in what the organisers claimed was the first such initiative of this magnitude anywhere in the world.

The day-long book fair in Lakhimpur district's Azad area, located over 350 km from Guwahati, offered books for free to all visitors, with special preference to students.

"This was the first time that a free book fair was held anywhere in the world. We aim to inculcate the reading habit, especially among the new generation," Jibanta Saikia, proprietor of Jonohitokhi Library, under whose banner the event was organised, told PTI.

He said the date for the free book fair was chosen to coincide with the birth anniversary of acclaimed litterateur, the late Homen Borgohain, who hailed from this district and was an advocate of reading books.

"We celebrated Borgohain's birth anniversary as a day dedicated to books and reading. And we dedicated the free book fair in the memory of our heartthrob Zubeen Garg," Saikia added.

Bubul Hazarika, a senior journalist and advisor to the organising committee, said about 40,000 books were gathered from donors across the state for the book fair.

"We provided free books to about 20,000 readers. Students were given two books each and others got one book each," he said.

Hazarika said the educational institutions had been provided with coupons, with provision for acquiring required coupons also made at the venue.

"There are many students, especially in rural areas, who do not have access to good books due to the remoteness of their locations or financial constraints. We are trying to bridge that gap in whatever little way we can," he added.

Maini Mahanta, Guwahati-based editor and columnist, who donated books for the event, said the initiative is a noble one and needs to be taken forward every year.

"It is a very good initiative, and more so because it happened in a rural area. The organisers took Zubeen's love for books among his music fans, especially the new generation. It is laudable," she told PTI.

Mahanta said she has provided books for different sections of readers, right from the primary level to motivational ones to those on social and political issues. PTI SSG SSG ACD