July 12: Dispur’s decision to not allow holding of the seventh Northeast Book Fair at Judges Field has not gone down too well with the publishers and organisers.

The organisers of the fair today joined hands with bibliophiles to request Dispur to reconsider its decision.

In a public meeting at the Guwahati Press Club this morning, the All Assam Publishers and Book-sellers Association (AAPBA) decided to request chief minister Tarun Gogoi to allow the seventh edition of the fair to be held Judges Field. For the past six years, the historic Judges Field has been the venue for the fair.

Following the twin blasts at Judges Field on Republic Day, the state government decided to allow only official functions at the playground.

Speakers at the public meeting unanimously criticised the government’s decision, describing it as a big setback for the popular fair.

“During our recent meeting with the senior officials of the Kamrup (metropolitan) administration we have been told that the permission to host any event at the field could only be granted by the chief minister. And it was decided by him that no commercial events such as book fairs and trade expositions would be allowed at the Field,” former secretary of AAPBA Bidyut Guha said. He said that they would meet Gogoi within a week and explain to him that the book fair is not simply a commercial event.

“The book fair has given a fillip to the book movement not only in Assam but in the entire Northeast. The fair has successfully highlighted the literature and culture of the seven sisters and it would be very unfortunate if the event was not be held at the same place this year,” Guha rued.

The 12-day fair was supposed to start at Judges Field from November 27.

The organisers said the uncertainty over the venue would definitely hamper preparations, more so when the organisers are trying to give the fair an international flavour. This year Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Kuwait will participate in the fair.

Former president of the Asom Sahitya Sabha (ASS) Jatin Goswami, ASS secretary Jagadish Patgiri, writer Nitya Bora, publisher Surjya Hazarika, thinker Ismail Hussain and former president of the AAPBA Giri Pada Deb Choudhury attended the meeting.

According to the AAPBA, the district administration has asked them to shift the venue to Assam Engineering Institute playground at Chandmari but it has already been booked for a textile fair in November.

“Moreover, every year we have at least 180 participants from all over the country, but at the Chandmari playground we will be able to accommodate only half of them,” Guha said.