Encourage regional language books: Sibal

National Book Trust is celebrating National Book week in Delhi from November 14 to 20. It was inaugurated by Kapil Sibal, minister for communications and information on Children’s Day.

“I believe through books we empower children and children can empower us through books,” said Sibal while inaugurating the Book Week at Zakir Husain Delhi College.

He added that “real treasures” are books as they impart knowledge. “After launching Akash tablet, our dream is that children may also access books through it,” he said. Books for children should not only be available in printed form but in digitalised form as well, he added.

Sibal also stressed the need to preserve culture and tradition by promoting books in all Indian languages, especially Urdu and others which are losing their importance.

A book exhibition is also being held at Zakir Hussain college premises by NBT in collaboration with Sahitya Akademi and National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language.

NBT will also put up a photo gallery at the venue showcasing the journey of NBT since its foundation in 1957.

This year about 200 book promotional events are being organised in Delhi and other states, which include Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka.

M A Sikandar, director, NBT said they aim at reaching out to people especially children to promote reading habits. Sibal released NBT books in Hindi, English and Urdu and distributed books to select school libraries, NGOs. He gave merit certificates to the winners of the sit and draw competition held on Wednesday.