Kolkata, 22 January (H.S.): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday inaugurated the 49th edition of the Kolkata International Book Fair, during which she announced an allocation of ₹10 crore for the construction of a ‘Boi Teerth’ (Book Pilgrimage) at the fair venue in Salt Lake.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister referred to the controversy surrounding the exhibitions of her paintings and the subsequent probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation, saying that the episode had left her feeling humiliated and insulted. She stated that action was taken against her merely for organising two art exhibitions.

Mamata Banerjee said that she had organised two exhibitions of her paintings, following which a controversy erupted. “I held two exhibitions, and after that the CBI inquiry began against me. Since then, I felt humiliated,” she said. She clarified that not a single rupee from the sale of her paintings was kept for personal use and that the entire amount was donated to non-governmental organisations, the Spastic Society, or the government for helping the poor.

The Chief Minister recalled that earlier she used to discard her writings, but late leader Subrata Mukherjee had advised her not to do so. Similarly, renowned artist Shubhaprasanna Bhattacharya had encouraged her to continue painting. She said that she still paints but no longer holds exhibitions. According to her, whenever she visits circuit houses during official tours, she paints on canvas and leaves the artwork with the local administration for public use.

During her speech, Mamata Banerjee also said that she does not draw her salary as Chief Minister or her pension as a former Union Railway Minister. She stated that her only source of income is the royalty earned from her books. She added that she had donated several crore rupees to the state government, yet she continued to face criticism, which she said she takes in a positive spirit.

From the Book Fair stage, the Chief Minister announced the creation of ‘Boi Teerth’ at the Salt Lake fairgrounds and said the state government has allocated ₹10 crore for the project. She said that the Kolkata Book Fair would complete 50 years next year and that the ‘Boi Teerth’ would be ready by then. She also urged the Book Fair organisers’ Guild to submit a formal proposal for the project.

Mamata Banerjee informed that nine new books written by her were released at the fair this year, taking the total number of her published books to 162. One of the newly released books is based on the Special Intensive Revision process and contains 26 poems. She said the poems were written during her helicopter tours of districts and that she still prefers writing by hand.

During the programme, the Chief Minister presented the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Guild and publishing houses to noted author Swapnamoy Chakraborty. She then formally inaugurated the 49th Kolkata International Book Fair by striking the hammer 49 times. She also advised the organisers to insure the fair to protect it from anti-social elements.

This year’s theme country for the Kolkata Book Fair is Argentina. Argentina’s Ambassador Mariano Caucino was present at the inauguration, and the Chief Minister thanked him for his presence. She noted that Bangladesh and the United States did not participate in the fair this year, while China did. She also recalled that even in the year when a fire broke out at the Book Fair, she had attended the event despite being in the opposition at the time.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh