Erode-based forum to donate books to Jaffna library

A city-based forum here has proposed to donate books worth lakhs of rupees to the historic Jaffna library in Sri Lanka.
Erode Makkal Sindhanai Peravai (people's thinkers forum) had resolved to donate books, mainly Tamil, in large numbers as the library had suffered extensive damage during the Eelam war that ended in 2009, its President Stalin Gunasekaran told reporters today.
He said the forum, which has been organising annual book fair here for the past 12 years, had approached officials in the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Chennai who had agreed to help in sending the books to the library in Jaffna.

Book publishers participating in the fair, concluding today, have come forward to donate liberally, he said adding a particular publisher had expressed willingness to donate Rs one lakh worth of 'quality' books.
Gunasekaran said this year 230 stalls were set up at the fair and an estimated seven lakh people, largely students, from Erode and neighbouring districts visited it.
The sale was also encouraging as it netted 20 per cent increase compared to last year, he added.