By Our Correspondent
SAMBALPUR : Book Fair is a celebration of thought and action. Reading books deepens knowledge and provides a path to move forward. Today’s mobile phones and 30-second ‘reels’ can affect the brain for a while, but a good book affects the whole life. Those who read, they do not just create trends, they make history. If Gandhiji had not read the Gita, then India’s freedom struggle might have taken a different form. Every time we open a book, India’s future moves two steps forward, said Union Education Minister and Sambalpur MP Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.
Shri Pradhan inaugurated the ’26th Sambalpur Book Fair’ today in Sambalpur, a unique land of culture and literature and the holy land of heroes and freedom fighters. On this occasion, Shri Pradhan described this fair as an ‘intellectual mega-conclave’ to commemorate the ancestors and great men of the nation rather than a book collection. He said that today’s book fair has a speciality. When we are celebrating the 600th birth anniversary of poet Sarala Das, the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, 150 years of the composition of the song Vande Mataram, 125 years of Ma’ Ramadevi, 100 years of Parvati Giri, the centenary of Baji Rout and the centenary of RSS and the 130th birth anniversary of Netaji and the 218th birth anniversary of Veer Surendra Sai, it is a matter of pride that this book fair is being organized at a time when we are celebrating the 600th birth anniversary of poet Sarala Das, the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, the 150th birth anniversary of the song Vande Mataram, the 125th birth anniversary of Ma’ Ramadevi, the 100th birth anniversary of Parvati Giri, the centenary of Baji Rout and the centenary of RSS and the 130th birth anniversary of Netaji and the 218th birth anniversary of Veer Surendra Sai.
Shri Pradhan informed that the book “The Saga of Kudopali: The Unsung Story of 1857” was launched in 10 regional languages including Spanish at the New Delhi World Book Fair in the presence of the Culture Ministers of Qatar and Spain. The book is currently available in a total of 13 languages. He expressed the hope that the sacrifice of the unknown hero of Kudopali will create a new identity for the 1857 Sepoy Uprising. He added that Sambalpur is not just a piece of land, it is a shining symbol of struggle, culture and self-respect. We are free today due to the indomitable courage of heroes like Veer Surendra Sai, Ravi Sai and Udanthavathy Sai. The sacrifice made by Udanthavathy Sai after serving 37 years in prison is unparalleled. A society that forgets the history of its ancestors goes astray. Therefore, he advised the new generation of students to visit Khinda and learn about the rich history of Redhakhol. He said, “Today, the time has come to establish a new identity for Sambalpur in the world, combining our glorious heritage and modernity.”
Shri Pradhan said that various books related to the history, tradition and culture of Sambalpur were released on the inaugural evening of the fair. The Minister expressed his joy by releasing the Odia translation of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s timeless work ‘Ananda Math’ and a book compiling the untold history of Sambalpur by Shri Deepak Panda. He said that these books are like a mirror of our civilization and will help in taking the glory of Sambalpur to the world. Apart from this, the Minister called upon the intellectuals, educationists and students of Sambalpur to enrich themselves by visiting this book fair. He also proposed that organizations like NBT and SETU should discuss the possibility of transforming the Sambalpur Book Fair into a global literary conference in the coming days. Shri Pradhan thanked NBT, SETU, Odisha Government and local organizations for organizing the book fair. Apart from this, he emphasized on participating in the ‘Hirakud Marathon’ to be held on February 15.
It is worth noting that this book fair will be organized at the PhD campus for about 9 days till February 1. On today’s inaugural day, the Odia version of ‘Ananda Math’ translated by Shishir Behera, along with the English book ‘The Land of Valor: History of Sambalpur’ written by Deepak Panda, ‘Veer Surendra Sai’, ‘Maa Samaleswari’ and ‘Submerged Temples of Sambalpur’ were released by Shri Pradhan and other guests. In addition, ‘Satya Narayan Bohidar Granthabali’ edited by Ganeshram Nahak and ‘Ghanshyam Rathkan Granthabholuk’ edited by Niranjan Tripathi were released.
