Inculcation of book-reading habit is imperative to realise the dream of transforming Andhra Pradesh into a knowledge society, said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday.
He was speaking after inaugurating the 28th annual book festival organised by the Vijayawada Book Festival Society on PWD Grounds.
Pointing to the fact that a large population of the present generation had given up reading books for the ease of e-reader, Mr. Naidu said the sense of satisfaction gained through reading a printed book was extraordinary.
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“Books are a treasure trove of enriching literature and they are the only source of our history. Events like this exhibition will help us pass on the rich tradition to the future generations,” he said.
Sense of gratification
He said even rapid advancements in technology could not match the sense of gratification book-reading gave. He said the sprawling ground had turned into a book-lover’s paradise with people from across the country putting up stalls here.
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Mr. Naidu said a proposal to organise book exhibitions in all 13 districts of the State was under consideration. Books, he reiterated, were the source to transmit our age-old customs and traditions to the next generations.
Besides sale of books, the venue would host literary discussions on the ‘Sahitya Vedika’ engaging erudite scholars and experts on topics like role of the Reserve Bank in demonetisation, inclusive development, Information Technology and Internet of Things, understanding money, water development and the Amaravathi heritage town.
He complimented members of the Book Festival Society on naming the Sahitya Vedika after the late Carnatic musician Mangalampalli Bala Murali Krishna who was a great source of inspiration.
Earlier, the Chief Minister went round the stalls and flipped pages of a few books to get a feel of their content.
Book Festival Society convener B. Babjee, Krishna District Collector A. Babu, chairperson of Andhra Pradesh Mahila Commission Nannapaneni Rajakumari, Vijayawada Municipal Commissioner G. Veerapandiyan and others were present.