Sharjah book fair: K S Nissar Ahmed hails Shanthi Prakahsana

Sharjah: Around 2.31 million book lovers from within the United Arab Emirates and around the world visited the 35th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) that concluded on November 12.

The SIBF hosted 1,420 publishing houses from 60 countries. Among them, Mangaluru based Shanthi Prakashana was the only publishing house from Karnataka. By exhibiting a good collection of Kannada literature, SP captured the hearts of thousands of UAE Kannadigas.

By participating in Sharjah international book fair, Shanthi Prakashana drew the attention of millions of visitors from various countries who were unaware and were completely new to the Kannada language. Thus Kannada language and culture have gained recognition among Arab countries thanks to this exhibition.

The Shanthi Prakashana also organised a valedictory ceremony of its exhibition-cum-sale on the last day of the 11-day book far. K S Nissar Ahmed, a renowned Kannada poet and thinker from Karnataka was the guest of honour. He expressed deep sense of love towards the literature of Shanthi Prakashana. He reminisced to the gathering about the acquaintance he had with late Ibraheem Saeed, who had contributed greatly for the growth of Shanthi Prakashana.

Mr Ahmed urged Shanthi Prakashana to boost the publishing landscape of Kannada literature so as to promote literary interest among the non-resident Kannadigas. He also wished Shanthi Prakashana to reach new heights. "Let this stall turn into a large scale library deriving multiple benefits," he added.

Another guest, Dr Kaup Mohammed, Dean and Director of the London American City College, UAE, said that Shanthi Prakshana through its works endeavoured to uproot the misconceptions about Islam. It also should reach out to non Kannadigas by publishing Islamic literature in English, he suggested requesting to continue its participation in SIBF every year.

Sadan Das, president of Kannada Koota, Dubai, Abdul Lathief, vice president of Bearys Cultural Forum Dubai, and Irshad Moodabidre, an NRI Kannada writer, lauded the work of Shanthi Prakashana.

The programme began with the recitation of Quranic verses by V K Nooh Rashid Vitla. Abdul Khader Kukkaje welcomed the guests, Nisar Parangipete compered the programme and proposed vote of thanks. Mubarak PD Thrissur, head of Islamic cultural centre UAE, Malayalam unit felicitated Nadoja Padmashree Nissar Ahmed.

Some of the notable personalities who visited the Shanthi Prakashana exhibition are: Gopinatha Rao (story writer, Dubai), Prakash Payyar (President of Dhwani Prathishtana), Ramachandra Hegde (businessman, Dubai), Vinay Naik (Namma T V), Bekal Sugandh Raj (president of Karnataka Sanga, Sharjah), Dayana D' Souza (Konkani writers group, Dubai), Mohammed Ali Uchil (President of Beary welfare Forum , Abu Dhabi), Abdullah Madumule (chief secretary, BWF, Abudhabi), and the members of Saiban business community, Abu Dhabi.