MIGRATORY BIRDS may stop visiting Kolkata every year, winter might be lesss colder but even thinking of a break in the book fair, held every year in the city, is blasphemous. For the book lovers it is like a ritual.

 

With the Jaipur Literary Festival losing all its sheen to Rushdie issue, the 36th International Kolkata Book Fair 2012 has stolen all the limelight of attention with Vikram Seth speaking as its ‘Suitable Boy’. The Kolkata Literary Meet as it is now being called  was all poised to accommodate a picture of graceful exhibition of the literary talent of the country and abroad.

 

The book-bonding that is available in the Kolkata Book Fair is rare anywhere in India – to be more precise, even in Delhi or Jaipur. People make the ambience of book loving a genuine one and a rapport is developed. Publishers and booksellers have displayed their treasure trove for the readers and the buyers so generously that any other book fair will fade in its splendour. It is more than selling and buying books. The  fair, now called Kolkata Literary Meet (KLM in Bengali pronunciation Kalam or Pen) is slated to have over 30 sessions spread over six days, featuring authors from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Italy, France, England, America and more, apart from city writers in English as well as Bengali — and a top draw called  Imran Khan. But Vikram Seth seems to have stolen all the limelight  and it is although it was inaugurated by renowned Italian author Beppe Severgni. Literary majors like Vikram Seth, Ruskin Bond and Chetan Bhagat are slated to attend the 12-day event, as well as a host of authors from abroad.

 

Seth was present at the inaugural  event on January 26, and again with his mother Lila Seth, he was present at the closing ceremony. The Jaipur ignominy is still fresh in mind of the literature- lovers here as well. So, on the first day of the literary meet, Vikram Seth reminded the book lovers  in Kolkata that in Jaipur the situation reached such a pass only because of power, politics and misuse of religion. The  author of 'A Suitable Boy', described  Rushdie issue as a "grotesque and barbaric act" and "a denial of liberty of thought, expression and belief." In West Bengal this kind of thing never occurred and people exhibited a greater tolerance.

 

The 36th Kolkata Book Fair, considered one of the world's largest in terms of footfalls, Kolkata Book Fair is also the busiest book fair in the world in terms of number of visitors. It is the annual pilgrimage of book-lovers. People attend the fair as if they were doing any ritual. It is not unnatural that Vikram Seth, in his  speech advocated in favour of liberty of thoughts, expression and belief. These are needed all the time and at all the places. Vikram questioned whether India was ruled by the Constitution or by a dictator. Seth is India’s greatest contemporary writer, and he has been in India for a little over a month, of which three weeks were devoted to Delhi and some 10 days kept aside “for enjoying” Kolkata.

 

This is a fabulous time for the book lovers to see their favourite author and to get their books signed. His new book is The Rivered Earth. The chief guest was Italian Journalist and best-selling author Beppe Severgnini. His book La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind was translated into Bengali for the occasion. It explores Italy’s culture and people, in a lighter vein. Ileana Citaristi, Italian cultural ambassador presented an Odissi dance recital on Rabindranath Tagore.

 

Kolkata is serious about reading, and Kolkatans are proud of their intellectual tradition. In a cozy reading room inside the fair, leading authors participated in Dickensian dialogue. The celebrated author Vikram Seth kick-started the Dickens festivities  to celebrate the two hundred years of Dickens. He spoke on the "urban factor" in Dickens, the setting of whose stories was essentially urban. Amit Chaudhuri, Anita Nair, Neel Mukherjee, Chandrahaas Chaudhury and Anjum Hasan are expected to send in their pieces to the British Council within a fortnight. Several international authors and scholars have also been invited to speak on Dickens at KLM. Charlotte Cooke, holds forth an animated reading session from Dickens, while novelist Craig Taylor and historian John Keay  participated in special discussions.