The 31st Hyderabad Book Fair was inaugurated at NTR Stadium by Energy Minister G. Jagadish Reddy on Thursday. “I was in class VIII when I read a book that changed my life. It opened my eyes to the world and its wonders. Earlier, when I was young, TV was considered a threat to learning, but now cellphone has emerged a bigger threat,” said Mr. Reddy, speaking at the inaugural.
“Knowledge is a like a missile that travels far. We can go far in life only if we read books,” he said, asking the assembled children to make it a habit to read books.
The book fair is a 10-day affair ending on January 28. The organisers have listed an interesting line up of events on all the 10 days to attract children to the fair. The concluding day would see Okka Nimsham (one minute) where contestants have to speak for a minute in Telugu without using a single word of English. There are 213 participating booksellers this year. Children would have free entry if they show their school identity cards, informed K. Chandramohan, secretary of Hyderabad Book Fair Society.
