Staying put

Sir — As a die-hard communist, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, following the legacy of Chernobyl or Kursk, derives immense pleasure from degrading the environment. Thus, he is not satisfied with merely polluting the Maidan by organizing rallies, or damaging the topography, vegetation and natural sewerage in Singur and Uluberia. His wish that the book fair be held at the Maidan permanently is a manifestation of his lack of concern for the environment. However, if the book fair were allowed at the Maidan, other events such as melas and exhibitions should also be allowed on these premises. In a democracy, people should be have the right to choose what they want. They do not have to accept Buddhababu’s logic that only the Book Fair should be allowed in Calcutta’s green zone since books are a valuable commodity. When the fair was organized for the first time in 1976, it was like a gust of fresh air. People could buy many of the books that they had only heard about. Over the years though, the organizers have developed a dismal record. The venue was once gutted by a terrible fire. Each year, it causes traffic jams and turns the Maidan into a garbage dump. Perhaps, it is time to make a cost-benefit analysis to decide whether we need the fair at all. Over the years, the book fair has become a haven for those who have anything but books on their mind.That there has been a dip in the sales of books is fairly evident, as genuine book-lovers and buyers often hesitate to venture into the fair grounds. There should be no problems if the fair were to be permanently removed from the Maidan. If Calcuttans really love their books, they will throng to the eastern fringes of the city to browse through the covers.

Yours faithfully,
Chameli Pal, Batanagar

Sir — Nothing is permanently ‘fair’ or ‘foul’ in Marxist Bengal (“Fair or foul? Buddha junks Maidan promises for book business show”, Nov 3). What was unacceptable last year, and even earlier, from the environmental point of view is perfectly legitimate in Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s eyes today. There is a vast difference between what the government had promised to the courts and what the chief minister is saying now. But this does not come as a surprise, since the Marxists have never been known to have respected the judiciary’s decisions. After all, isn’t it true that the government’s policies are geared to suit only the whims of those at its head?

Yours faithfully,
A. Roy Mukherjee, Calcutta

Sir — The debate over the location of the Calcutta Book Fair has once again triggered a bitter altercation between the army and the state government. The latter, on its part, has sought Pranab Mukherjee’s cooperation in fixing the problem. But will a book fair on the Maidan benefit Calcutta in any way? The answer cannot be in the affirmative since such an event compromises the city’s ‘lungs’. Not just environmentalists but intellectuals and book-lovers should unite in their opposition to the Maidan as a venue for the book fair. Even after the Calcutta high court’s decision to make the greens a no-fair zone, the state government has repeatedly exploited this patch of land to bury its incompetence in providing an alternative location for such events. It is a pity that the government has not been able to come up with a long-term solution to the present problem.

Yours faithfully,
Sanmitra Bhattacharya, Calcutta

Sir — The chief minister is absolutely right in proposing to make the Maidan the permanent venue for the book fair. What better place than the Maidan to hold a fair which witnesses a huge congregation of people from all corners of the globe every year? The book fair, over the years, has transformed itself into a meeting ground of diverse cultures. Moreover, the Maidan, being located in the heart of the city, is easily accessible. Shifting the fair to the eastern fringes of the city will only make it inaccessible for many Calcuttans. Such a change of venue will also ruin the publishers. The Maidan also has its own charm. A backdrop comprising the Victoria Memorial, open-air performances and impomptu music sessions cannot be replicated elsewhere.

Yours faithfully,
Rahul Roy, Calcutta

Sir — It is really shocking to see Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee reneging on his promise. His recent stand on the book fair will only damage his reputation as a man of integrity. He should have realized the fact that the location of the book fair does not really matter to book-lovers in Calcutta. The site on the EM Bypass is perfect for the fair. The Science City and the entertainment parks that lie on the same stretch draw huge crowds every day. So there is no reason to believe that the book fair will fail to attract people, especially as it is held only once a year.

Yours faithfully,
Saikat Hazra, Bhadrakali, Hooghly

Sir — It is common knowledge that all fairs at the Maidan leave behind heaps of garbage and filth that are not cleared for weeks to come. Unfortunately, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is not ready to listen to this sound logic. He has decided to make the Maidan the permanent venue for the book fair, ignoring the army’s reservations in the process. This is a dangerous precedent, as the army, responsible for citizens’ safety, should not be pressurized under any circumstances. One hopes that wisdom prevails and the chief minister does not go ahead with his plans, just because the book fair is “an important cultural event” of international recognition.

Yours faithfully,
A.S. Mehta, Calcutta