Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has said that book exhibitions should be conducted in all the districts and mini libraries should be established in all the houses in the State.
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Inaugurating the 18th edition of the Erode Book Festival through video conferencing on Friday, Mr. Stalin said after Chennai, book exhibition was held in a few other districts only. “Such exhibitions should be held in all the districts with the support of the government for which ₹4.96 crore has been allotted”, he said.
The Chief Minister said due to the postponement of Chennai Book Fair in January 2022, publishers suffered loss and the government immediately gave a compensation of ₹50 lakh in addition to ₹75 lakh for conducting the festival. He said that the ₹114 crore project to establish Muthamilarignar Kalaignar Memorial Library at Madurai would be completed soon.
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Mr. Stalin said the State government is also competing with publications by publishing books. “Of the 785 books that were printed by the Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation during 1960s and 1970s, 635 were reprinted in the last one year”, he said and added that the best creations in Tamil language were being translated into English, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada. Also, books in other languages are translated into Tamil.
He said despite many foreign invasions and other language ‘invasions’, Tamil language had the strength to withstand it, protect its people and also Tamil Nadu. He said that book exhibitions help people to realise the importance of Tamil and asked people to read books.
“Gifting books has become a movement in the State and it should be expanded and strengthened”, he said. He wanted people to establish at least a small library in their house and also develop the attitude of gifting books.
Minister for Housing and Urban Development S. Muthusamy, Collector H. Krishnanunni, Mayor S. Nagarathinam, president of Makkal Sinthanai Peravai T. Stalin Gunasekaran, president of Desiya Nala Vizhipunarvu Iyakkam (National Welfare Awareness Movement) S.K.M. Maeilanandhan and others were present.
The book festival, organised by Makkal Sinthanai Peravai, will be held for 12 days from August 5 to 16 at Chikkaiah Naicker College ground on Sakthi Road.