By IANS
Kolkata : The world’s largest non-trade book carnival stands cancelled for now with the Calcutta High Court Monday ruling against the organisers’ decision to hold the annual book fair in the city’s central hub of Park Circus, primarily on environmental grounds.
After hearing two petitions filed by people living near the venue, a division bench of Chief Justice S.S. Nijjar and Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh ruled against the Publishers and Booksellers Guild’s decision to hold the 33rd Kolkata Book Fair at Park Circus Maidan.
American author Paul Theroux was to inaugurate the Jan 30 to Feb 10 book fair and foreign guests had started arriving for the city’s most awaited annual cultural event.
The verdict said the “Guild cannot hold the book fair at the Park Circus Maidan as it is in violation of environmental laws, noise pollution laws and constitutional rights (Articles 14 and 21) besides violation of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act.”
While Article 14 deals with equality of law, Article 21 deals with a citizen’s right to live (in a congenial environment) or more precisely ensures protection of life.
The court further directed that the park should be restored to its original condition with immediate effect at the cost of the Guild, which had proceeded with construction work at the venue.
In a surprise move, Chief Justice Nijjar himself paid a visit to Park Circus Jan 26. His convoy made a round of the park along Orient Row, Darga Road and Suhrawardy Avenue.
While the residents of Park Circus, organised under the banner of Orient Row Talbagan Lane We Care, were jubilant Monday, the Publishers and Booksellers Guild’s general secretary Tridip Chatterjee said: “It is unfortunate. We will take a decision and brief the media after our executive committee meeting.”
“The verdict was not too unexpected. The Guild should not have been so adventurous as to decide on a venue which is so contentious,” Bengali writer Shirshendu Mukhopadhayay said.
“It (the verdict) is sad and unfortunate,” said Kolkata Mayor Bikash Ranjan.
After months of uncertainty, the West Bengal government had given a go-ahead for the Kolkata Book Fair to be held at Park Circus Maidan, much to the displeasure of the residents who said the ground is a public park and surrounded by schools, a college, residential quarters, hospitals and nursing homes.
Green crusader Subhas Dutta, whose long battle saw the fair removed from Kolkata’s vast green acres called Maidan that is considered the lung of the city, said: “We have to accept this verdict. But any casual comment on pollution is not right. Of course, there is bound to be pollution if it is held anywhere in Kolkata just like that.”
“The fair would create a law and order problem, environmental hazard and traffic snarls,” said Asish Banerjee, president of the committee protesting the fair.
The committee had asked the chief minister, the governor and the mayor to listen to their grievances.
“The fair would be a nightmare for the residents and the schools, colleges, hospitals around would face lots of difficulties. We feared dumping of garbage in the area by visitors,” he said.
“The prospect of two million footfalls may be music to the fair organisers but not to us. We feared a rise in petty crimes too,” said Shahensha Mirza, a member of the committee.
A huge fire had destroyed the book fair in 1997. The fire had spread from a food kiosk at the venue.
The Kolkata Book Fair is the largest non-trade book fair in the world. It is the world’s third largest annual collection of books after the Frankfurt Book Fair and the London Book Fair.
The Publishers and Booksellers’ Guild had to shift the book fair to Salt Lake last year, after green activists won a legal battle to prevent the event from being held at the Kolkata Maidan.
However, organisers were not happy with the Salt Lake venue and decided to hold the book fair at Park Circus this year.
“We suggest that the book fair be held at the permanent fair complex near the eastern metropolitan bypass on the eastern outskirts of Kolkata as it would be safe and convenient to all,” Dutta said.