IMPHAL — The
10-day-long 31st Imphal Book Fair was inaugurated on Sunday at the auditorium
of the State Central Library in Imphal, under the aegis of the Arts and Culture
Department in collaboration with the Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation,
Kolkata.
The inaugural function of the book fair, which aims to
promote a reading culture and intellectual engagement in the region, was
attended by vice chancellor Prof. N Lokendra Singh of Manipur University,
Canchipur, and commissioner (Arts and Culture) M Joy Singh. The director of the
Language Planning and Implementation, L Radhakanta Singh, was also present on
the occasion.
In an address, Prof. Lokendra emphasised the transformative
power of books and libraries in shaping societies and fostering knowledge. He
lauded the collaborative efforts in organising such events, as the book fair
serves as a platform to bring together readers, authors, and publishers.
The opening day of the book fair witnessed a huge turnout of
students, book lovers, and others, as the fair featured a wide range of books
in diverse fields.
Altogether, 32 publishing houses, including 11 from outside
the state, are displaying a diverse range of books at 72 stalls.
The spot painting competition, quiz and extempore speech
competitions, and meet-the-authors event are the main highlights of the ten-day
book fair. A couple of books are also expected to be released in the coming
days.
