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Green activists slam Kolkata book fair venue
Indo-Asian News Service
The West Bengal government's choice of Park Circus Maidan as the venue of 33rd Kolkata Book Fair has raised concerns among green activists who fear the annual cultural jamboree of such magnitude in a thickly-populated area would lead to environmental hazards.
"The place is not at all suitable for hosting such a big event like book fair. There are several problems like pollution, space crunch, lack of parking space and traffic congestion etc. Moreover, the Maidan is located in a thickly-populated area," city's green activist Subhas Dutta told IANS.
He said there are hospitals, three schools and two colleges located in close proximity to the Maidan. If any accident takes place, it would affect the surrounding areas of the book fair ground.
"There is no water resource near the new book fair venue. If any bookstall catches fire, it would be difficult to extinguish it. The only thing we have to bank upon is the fire brigade," he said.
A huge fire had destroyed the book fair in 1997. The fire had spread from a food kiosk.(Posted on December 30, 2007)
Book sheds light on Goans in Myanmar
Indo-Asian News Service
Goa, from where people have been moving to other countries for generations, has had its migration issues studied and written about fairly extensively. Yet there are some aspects that are still unexplored as a new book, which looks at Goans in Myanmar, suggests.
The 289-page book, Songs of the Survivors, focuses on a dramatic point in history, the World War II Japanese invasion of the land once known as Burma, and the tumultuous impact this had on the lives of Goans settled there.
The book has been edited by Yvonne Vaz Ezdani, a former teacher who herself lived in Burma till the early 1980s.
Ezdani said: "In an instant (with the outbreak of World War II), the Goans' comfortable and serene lives were shattered and they were plunged into chaos and fear."
The book has been collaboratively written by 24 contributors, 20 of whom were born and grew up in British-ruled Burma.(Posted on December 30, 2007)
Taslima is welcome in Kolkata: Jyoti Basu
Indo-Asian News Service
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) patriarch Jyoti Basu Tuesday said controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen was welcome back if the union government provided adequate security to her.
Nasreen was forced to leave Kolkata after street riots last month over her alleged anti-Islam writings.
"She is welcome back in Kolkata, but the security has to be provided by the centre. I appreciate the stand taken by the external affairs minister (Pranab Mukherjee) regarding this," said Basu, even as his party beat about the bush on the issue for fear of losing minority votes.(Posted on December 26, 2007)
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