Ekushey book fair energises us
THE Ekushey book fair goes on apace. And that is as it should be, for in recent years the publications that have come before us in the season when we observe the anniversary of the struggle for language have pointed to the strong cultural ethos that underpins our history. The Ekushey book fair is an occasion which takes us onward from an observance of a politico-cultural movement to a celebration of our heritage as a people. Judging by the enthusiasm this year at the fair, one can surely rest back in the knowledge that Bengalis, for all the political issues that have of late been exercising their minds, feel themselves on firm ground when it comes to a renewed awareness of their cultural sense of belonging.
There are the images that light up every time the Ekushey book fair makes an entry into our lives, both as individuals and as a collective band of citizens. The sight of a child astride his father and poring with serious expression through a book he has just come by could surely be looked upon as an apt metaphor for a nation that has historically cultivated reading as a habit. And yet we realise with somewhat of dismay that reading is what actually may have been going out of the system we are part of. And because of such depressing circumstances, we all have reason to think that the Ekushey book fair acts as a shot in the arm for us. It reminds us of the legacy which Bengal, in cultural as well as political terms, has historically been heir to. On any evening in this season of remembering and dreaming, one is liable to walk into a crowd eager for autographs from their favoured writers or desirous of refurbishing their ideas of history through listening to eminent cultural personalities reflect on the background against which Bengali culture has shaped itself. Indeed, the swarming crowds before the ubiquitous book stalls are proof that despite the battering we receive from nature and from predatory men all year round, we find in the Ekushey book fair a degree of resilience that only adds to our self-esteem as a nation.
So let us read on. Let the book fair energise us, enough to remind us that a nation which reads is also a society that can come to terms with the rest of the world. It finds it easy to spot a comfortable place for itself under the sun.
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