Travelling Book Fair sparks hope among Manipur readers

Guwahati: Amid the negativities in the strife-torn Manipur over the past two years, a beacon of hope emerges with efforts to unite all through books in the neighbouring Assam.

A Travelling Book Fair endeavoured to reach everyone in both hills and valleys there before arriving in Guwahati this week.

Book curator Kulajit Maisnam said their book firm, ‘Book Culture Northeast', boldly ventured into areas in Manipur where mobility was severely hampered by ongoing conflicts. Yet, the local communities continued to extend a heartening response.

According to Maisnam, the firm began organising the Travelling Book Fair in Oct last year, striving to reach people across Kakching, Ukhrul, Imphal, and Senapati districts in Manipur. "It was quite successful in Imphal because people were frustrated due to the happenings in the state over the last two years, and youths could not venture there. Moreover, there was no scope for recreational activities for the people due to the ongoing conflicts. People of the valley could not visit the hill districts and vice versa," he said.

He further shared that people in Manipur welcomed the fair as a respite from their frustration. "Amid the violence across the state in Manipur, this book fair brought some hope among the people, particularly the students who read books. It has given them a space for another form of recreation apart from hanging out, going out, and travelling to places," Maisnam said.

Maisnam said the books are procured from various sources and regions across the country, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bhubaneswar, with the majority sourced from European countries. "We continuously look for cheaper books so that we can offer those to the readers at a good discount. Because traditional book stores or book businesses are struggling to survive as they face high competition from big corporate players," he said.