Kolkata, 10 January (H.S.): The Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) will not have a stall at this year’s Kolkata Book Fair. The Calcutta High Court has rejected their plea against the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, citing that the case is not maintainable. Justice Amrita Sinha ruled that the Guild is a private body and thus not subject to the court’s intervention in this matter.

APDR approached the High Court after their application for a stall at the book fair was denied. The organization alleged a lack of transparency in the allocation of stalls by the Guild. However, the Guild argued in court that APDR failed to submit the necessary documents, including a valid license, registration certificate, and catalog, within the stipulated timeframe. APDR admitted to not having these documents, leading to the dismissal of their plea.

The court noted that the Guild operates independently and does not perform any government functions. Justice Sinha advised APDR to approach the appropriate authorities for future requests. The Kolkata Book Fair is set to run from January 28 to February 9 this year.

In a related development, Bangladesh’s participation in the fair remains uncertain due to the country’s ongoing political instability. Guild President Tridib Kumar Chatterjee stated that unless the central government intervenes, Bangladesh’s inclusion is unlikely. APDR had earlier criticized the Guild over this issue, and they believe this critique led to their exclusion.

Hindusthan Samachar / SP Singh