Calcutta beat odds to build the Aviva Great Wall of Education, presented by The Telegraph, higher and wider on Friday.

Day 3 of the five-day book collection drive at City Centre (Salt Lake) saw Subrata Biswas, who is battling brain tumour, arrive with his seven-year-old twins Sharbadeb and Rudradeb and wife Saswati for the cause of education. “I want my children to contribute to the cause and also see the impact any small effort can have,” said the Kaikhali resident as his boys added nursery and Class I books to the wall that can be built till 8pm on Sunday.

 

 

 

Actress Roopa Ganguly brought four of son Akash’s books, including Khirer Putul. “Though I am very possessive about my books, this was a worthy enough cause to part with them,” smiled the lady in black.

 

 

 

Another braveheart was Gayatri Shaw. The 40-year-old from Kankinara who was operated on for tumour in the breast recently made it to City Centre with 17 books from her son Vaibhav’s collection. “I had to come and add another brick to the wall,” she said.

 

 

 

Author Sunil Gangopadhyay recited Sukumar Ray poems like Gophchuri and Baburam Shapure. “Calcutta, a city of books, should cross the 2-lakh mark,” he said, donating some of his works to the wall.

 

 

 

Professor-rocker Bertie Da Silva added his voice to champion the cause of the book wall. “I have faith in Calcutta… I knew the turnout would be great. This is a noble cause and all I will ask of Calcutta is to give books a chance because they can make all the difference,” said the dean of arts at St Xavier’s College.

 

 

Bagbazar Multipurpose Girls’ School presented a 15-minute skit scripted by its students titled Abak Prithibi, dealing with atrocities on women. “We have brought our books so that they can be given to those who do not have any to read…” said Damayanti Giri of Class VIII.

 

 

Amrita Mukherjee, (left) winner of Best Sportsperson at The Telegraph School Awards for Excellence 2010, came with 80-odd books. “I feel each one of us can be instrumental in making the wall stronger,” said the Class XI student of Mahadevi Birla. In the afternoon, Tousif Alam (right) , the joint winner of The Surrendra Paul Memorial Award for Courage, at The Telegraph School Awards, dropped in with friends for tea. Inspired by the growing wall, the 18-year-old donated the only book he was carrying — his Class XI math textbook. “I can always buy another textbook later,” said the Park Circus resident who scored 73 per cent in Madhyamik despite severe kidney and allergy ailments.

Text: Jhinuk Mazumdar and Madhurima Chatterjee

Pictures: Anindya Shankar Ray