VANDALISM The Maidan left mauled by Wednesday’s ‘symbolic’ Book Fair is yet to be touched up the day after. Picture by Aranya Sen

The army has sought an explanation from police and the Publishers and Booksellers Guild for Wednesday’s unauthorised “symbolic” Book Fair that mauled the Maidan.

The Fort William authorities, the custodians of the greens, have shot off letters to the police and the guild, asking why a stage was allowed to be set up on the Maidan, keeping them in the dark.

The letters are addressed to police commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakrabarti and guild secretary Tridib Chatterjee.

Early on Thursday, an army representative visited the spot where the stage was set up and took pictures of the ground riddled with holes. The “symbolic” fair was organised to drum up support for the demand to reinstate the Book Fair on the Maidan.

“We’ve asked the police to explain how an unauthorised structure was allowed to come up on the Maidan. We also want to know why no action has been taken against the organisers. Clearances from the army and the police are a must for holding any event on the greens,” said Wing Commander R.K. Das.

About the letter to the guild, Das said: “We can’t write to each and every publisher who took part in the event. Since the guild is a representative body of the publishers, we have written to it.”

If the police don’t reply, the army will seek an answer from the state government. And if the guild refuses to repair the ground, Fort William will approach the public works department to do the needful.

Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya chose to keep mum on the issue.

The Maidan on Thursday evening was found mutilated with 40-odd holes, each at least 1.5 to 2 ft deep. The decorators said 50 big bamboo poles had been brought in for the show, which was attended by mayor Bhattacharyya, among others.

Posters screaming “Boi mela chaai”, peals of onion and cucumber, and plastic cups littered the ground.

WINDOW DRESSING The 15ftx15ft room, which houses the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC)’s Central Reference Library — supposedly the repository of the documented history of Calcutta — wore a cleaner look on Thursday. The day The Telegraph report highlighted the pathetic condition of the books, periodicals and gazettes in the library, civic officials were at work from the time the library was opened at 11am. The room was cleaned and the books, dumped in a corner of the damp room on Wednesday, were stacked on a rectangular table (picture on left by Bishwarup Dutta). “Our superiors instructed us to clean up the library and arrange the books. Four workers were put on the job,” an official said. He couldn’t recall the last time when the library was cleaned properly and the books were dusted. He’s been in the CMC for roughly three-and-a half years. Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya was not available for comment, but Faiyaz Ahmed Khan, the mayoral council member (parks and gardens), said the remaining books will be shifted soon to Town Hall. “Only the legal books, which we require on a daily basis, will be kept at the Central Reference Library,” he said.

The attempt to organise an alternative Book Fair gathered steam on Thursday, with a section of guild members meeting sports minister Subhas Chakraborty and seeking permission to hold the event at Salt Lake stadium.

“We told him that several publishers would be ruined if the Book Fair was not held. The minister will meet us again on Friday,” said Sandip Nayek, of Punascha publication.

Later, Chakraborty said he had proposed three venues for the fair — Netaji Indoor Stadium, Salt Lake stadium and Dumurjala stadium (in Howrah).

Chakraborty also discussed the issue with the chief minister during the day. “I talked to the chief minister and may meet him again tomorrow. One of the possibilities being explored is starting the fair on Poila Baisakh.”

Another section of guild members, led by secretary Tridib Chatterjee, had a separate meeting with Chakraborty at his Salt Lake home.

“We inquired after his health. If anyone wants to hold an alternative fair, we will support the move as publishers,” said Chatterjee.

The executive committee of the guild met in the evening and decided to finalise its plans on February 4.

Around 100 members of Bangiya Prakashak O Pustak Bikreta Sabha brought out a procession on College Street, demanding the state government’s intervention to hold the Book Fair.