Wednesday April 24, 2013
Kabul (BNA) With the arrival of “Book World Day” the cultural institution of “Shahri-i-Ketab” (City of Book) held an exhibition in Kabul recently.
The aim of this exhibition is strengthening of book-reading culture and culture of benefiting from book in the country. This exhibition would be continued till one week. Besides introducing different books, it is expected that another cultural programs to be considered so the people to be encouraged to book-reading. 13000 books are laid for exhibition. Beside those books printed in Afghanistan, another book which are printed in Iran and Pakistan are also laid for exhibition among the aforementioned books, some other books in English language are also laid for exhibition. One of those who shared in holding of this exhibition is Najibullah Manalay.
He said media that efforts are continuing so the publishers of book and book sellers in offering and publishing of book, we live in a condition that the culture of book reading has no developed in our country so far. So, for the growth of this culture, we are in favor of coordination of activities of book publishers and book sellers. According to official data, now, Afghanistan has 12million literate citizens, but annually, one million books are sold while at the same time, only one thousand books are printed in this country.
Manalay added that if the requirements for book is met inside Afghanistan, this not only help growing of culture but through this, the ground is prepared for employment of thousands unemployed in Afghanistan. He asked government to reduce the tax of printing books so the ground be prepared for printing book inside the country. Manalay stated that annually, one million books are sold in Afghanistan. Despites this, the books needed by its enthusiast are lesser. If we specify the requirements the demand would enhance very much. Deputy Minister for Information and Culture Ghulam Nabi Farahi encouraged the Afghans to make small libraries in their houses. “I believe those who interested to book are the best friend of book”. “Students, lecturers of universities, men of culture and teachers are the main customers of book. They have come to this exhibition to purchase book and say that they did to obtain 50 percent of books they considered”.
A university student Farid said that those societies involving with book are succeeded forever, According to him, the people who are book readers know what to do, what their aim is and how to speak. But vice versa, those societies who forget book, they lose their way and don’t know where they are going. A Kabul university student Shogoufa says that book is the friend of human-beings. Book reading should not be forgotten. He added that it is the duty of literate people to encourage those who forget book reading. Despite more printing houses and publishers began activities during recent years in Afghanistan, so far the book stall of the books printed in Iran and other English books is warm in book shops.
