Shri Kadakampally Surendran, Hon’ble Minister for Co-operation,   Tourism and Devaswom,

Shri Ramesh Chennithala, Hon’ble Leader of the Opposition,

Prof. K.V. Thomas, Member of Parliament,

Shri Hibi Eden, Member of Legislative Assembly,

Smt. Soumini Jain, Mayor, Cochin Corporation,

Dr. T. Padmanabhan, Eminent Writer,

Smt. Mini Antony IAS, Secretary, Department of Co-operation,

Shri S. Shanavas IAS, Registrar, Co-operatives, Kerala.

Prof. M.K. Sanu, Festival Director,

Shri Ezhachery Ramachandran, President, Sahitya Pravarthaka Sahakarana Sangham,

ShriShaji N. Karun, Creative Director, Krithi,

Shri Joby John, Coordinator, Krithi,

Sahodaree Sahodaranmare,

Ellavarkkum Ente Namaskaram.

It gives me great joy to inaugurate the KrithiInternational Book Fair and Knowledge Festivalorganized by the Department of Cooperation, Government of Kerala.

Let me at the outset, congratulate the Department of Cooperation on the decision to celebrate the literary might and progressive mind of Kerala by launching this Knowledge Festival and Book Fair. The name KRITHI, which is the short form for Kerala Research Initiative for Thinking Interactiveness', sums up the noble intention behind the conduct of this event.

I must admit that, for a person from outside Kerala, it might look a bit unusual for a Cooperation Department to initiate an intellectual venture to progressively influence the knowledge tastes of the common man.  But, when one recalls that Kerala had started Sahitya Pravarthaka Sahakarana Sangham [SPCS], the first Cooperative society of writers in Asia in as early as 1945, one understands the true relevance of such an event.

I am informed that this event has been carried out by Samooh, which is a new generation co-operative of professionals with global expertise and experience in emerging and cutting-edge technologies. This partnership is also indicative of a futuristic approach on the part of the Cooperative Department. This year's event has been inspired by the success of the first edition of KRITHI, which was held last year.

What makes this year's special is that it comes in the aftermath of the Flood of 2018, which had wiped away much of the progress we had earned through decades of hard work. The process of Rebuilding Kerala is now going on in infrastructure, agriculture and many other areas.  I see KRITHI as an event that focuses the rebuilding of the intellectual progress of our State. And, I feel that the theme Kerala - Back to the Future has to be seen in two ways. First, it silently celebrates the intellectual progress we had made and then, sets a destination for us to reach in as short a time as possible.

Kerala's intellectual growth was strengthened by a love for books and the habit of reading. We recall the Library movement which spread all over Kerala with the slogan, Vaayichu Valaruka or Read and Grow. As our children and adults started loving books, our Library network grew to one of the biggest in India. The Flood may have shaken this network, but our commitment to rebuild that intellectual foundation can never be shaken by any force. This is what the first edition of KRITHI showed us through the scheme, 'A book for a Child', which was replicated by many rural libraries. I have no doubt that this year's idea of 'Adopt a Library' would add more strength to that rebuilding initiative.

The support rendered by the major cultural institutions of the State like Kerala Sahithya Academy, Kerala Lalitha kala Academy and other committed voluntary organizations    points to a collective desire to make this event an inspiring confluence of literature, arts and digital technology.  What is most assuring is that this year's book fair expects nearly double the number of stalls compared to last year. While focusing on children's literature, academic books and knowledge literature, it is laudable that this event is also committed to promote budding writers with Book Release, Book Pitching and Book Reading sessions.

The gesture of honoring Dr. Padmanabhan spreads light on the respect Kerala has always shown to its writers.  I recall that he was recently honoured by Mahatma Gandhi University through the conferment of an Honorary Degree.

As a person hailing from the judiciary, I feel that emphasis laid by the KRITHI Knowledge Festival on the Constitution is a step in the right direction. As citizens, our ideologies may differ, but it is the faith in the Constitution that unites us   as a nation. The expression We, the People of India, signifies the indomitable strength of a nation built on the sacrifices of millions of known and unknown freedom fighters. It is a nation that each one of us continues to strengthen thorough our lives. A citizen who has imbibed the spirit of the Preamble of the Constitution can never think of an undemocratic or unconstitutional solution to any issue. The right understanding of our sublime Constitution is the true first step towards strengthening a knowledge society.

In this era of globalization, Malayalam literature cannot remain confined to the geographical boundaries of Kerala.  It is high time we ensured better global exposure to our works through translations into other languages of India and the world. It is laudable that the Cultural Focus of KRITHI is on some dimensions of Tamil culture. By focusing on other cultures of our nation, we are actually strengthening our unity as a nation. I compliment Sahitya Pravarthaka Sahakarana Sanghom for this gesture and hope it would take the lead in expanding the reach of Malayalam through more translations.

Ihope the deliberations at the Knowledge Festival, which include Ideas envisaging a Future Kerala, Revisiting Renaissance, Experiences of People's Movementsetc., will contribute to a new development model for the State with a global outlook and a consideration for local considerations.

I once again compliment the State Department of Cooperation for organizing this International Book Fair and Knowledge Festival and hope that this event would become Kerala's intellectual message to the world.

Ellavarkkum Ente Aashamsakal

Thank You

Jai Hind

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