CM visits Book Fair

Chennai, Jan 20 (UNI) The 30th edition of the Chennai Book Fair, which started here today, had a surprise visitor : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, himself an avid reader of books and a renowned writer.

The Chief Minister, accompanied by his Cabinet colleagues Duraimurugan and K Ponmudi, went around the various stalls and spent nearly one hour at the venue.

He also spent some time at the 'Kalaignar Arivukoodam', a stall featuring the contributions made by him to the Tamil language and literature and the books written by him.

Mr Karunanidhi turned nostalgic while glancing through some of the letters and books written by him and photographs he had taken along with his mentor and late Chief Minister C N Annadurai.

Mr Karunanidhi had inaugurated the 12-day long fair at St George's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School on January ten.

The Book Fair was organised by the Book Sellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI).

Mr Karunanidhi donated Rs one crore out of his personal funds forthe BAPASI to honour five writers every year.

The funds were given from 'Kalaignar Karunanidhi Charitable Trust', formed by him out of his wife's money obtained from divesting her shares in the Sun TV network.

Five authors would be honoured every year with an award of Rs one lakh each from the interest accrued from the funds.

UNI