Literature has taken a backseat due to geopolitics, as India-US ties have been strained since the Donald Trump administration imposed 50 per cent tariffs on New Delhi—one of the highest in the world.
While trade talks continue, the impact of souring relations between both countries was felt at the 49th International Kolkata Book Fair. After a decade of participating in the book fair, there was no stall/representative from the US this time.
“US regretted because of their lack of funding in this cultural wing at the last moment. They have been participating since 2006, but this time they regretted due to non-allocation of budget,” said Tridib Kumar Chatterjee, General Secretary of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, who plays a key role in organising the International Kolkata Book Fair every year.
He also claimed that there was no geopolitical connection to the US pulling out of the book fair.
However, that was not the case with Bangladesh, another country that lacked representation at the book fair.
Despite strong associations between India and Bangladesh over decades, strained ties between both nations after the ouster of former PM Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 have led to both sides denying visas to each other's citizens.
“They have been participating since 1997 and we couldn’t give them a stall from 2025,” said Chatterjee.
“In case of Bangladesh, due to the geopolitical situation and sensitive relationship between the two countries, we told them to get a green signal from the Minister of External Affairs, Government of India. That did not happen, so we cannot take the risk,” he added.
There are around 1,100 stalls and nearly 20 countries participating in the 49th edition of the International Kolkata Book Fair, which started on January 22 and will end on February 3.
