Calcutta High Court Orders Space for VHP at Kolkata Book Fair
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Synopsis
The Calcutta High Court has instructed the Publishers & Booksellers Guild to provide space for the Vishva Hindu Parishad's stall at the Kolkata Book Fair from January 28 to February 9, 2023. The Guild previously denied permission citing procedural issues and the sensitive nature of VHP's publications, prompting VHP to seek legal recourse.
Key Takeaways
- Calcutta High Court intervened in stall allocation for VHP.
- VHP's stall denied due to procedural non-compliance.
- Previous stall allotments since 2011 were cited by VHP.
- Political crisis in Bangladesh affects publisher participation.
- This year’s theme country is Germany.
Kolkata, Jan 17 (NationPress) The Calcutta High Court on Friday instructed the Publishers & Booksellers Guild, the entity responsible for the Kolkata International Book Fair, to allocate space for the stall of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) during this year's event, which is set to take place from January 28 to February 9.
Justice Amrita Sinha also mandated that the Guild representatives clarify their stance in front of her bench at the next hearing scheduled on January 20.
The Guild had previously denied VHP the opportunity to set up a stall at this year's fair, marking the 48th edition of the Kolkata International Book Fair.
In response to the Guild's decision, VHP took the matter to the Calcutta High Court.
During the proceedings, the Guild's counsel cited two main reasons for the stall denial: firstly, that VHP did not follow the required protocols for stall application, and secondly, the 'highly sensitive' nature of the books published by the organization.
In rebuttal, the VHP counsel highlighted that Vishva Hindu Varta, the publishing arm of VHP, had consistently been allotted stalls at the Kolkata International Book Fair since 2011, suggesting there was no valid reason for the current denial.
Justice Sinha further probed the Guild's counsel on the sudden concern regarding the 'sensitive nature' of VHP's publications this year.
She remarked that "there is a limit to everything, and no one should cross the bounds of courtesy".
She then instructed the Guild authorities to present their position on the matter during the next hearing.
In a notable change from past years, publishers from Bangladesh will not be participating in this year's event, reportedly due to the ongoing political turmoil there.
This year, with Germany serving as the theme country, the Publishers & Booksellers Guild has confirmed participation from countries including the UK, US, France, Italy, Spain, Peru, Argentina, and Colombia, but not from any publishers in Bangladesh.
