Srinagar, July 18 (KINS): Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday inaugurated the third edition of the Chinar Book Festival in Srinagar, describing it as a movement to build a vibrant community of readers, writers and thinkers while reaffirming the government’s commitment to transforming Jammu and Kashmir into a national hub of knowledge, culture and creativity.
Addressing the inaugural function, the Lieutenant Governor congratulated the National Book Trust and the organisers for successfully hosting the festival.
“This festival is more than just an event. It is a movement to build a vibrant community of readers, writers and thinkers. Our goal is to transform Jammu and Kashmir into a national hub for knowledge, culture and creativity,” Sinha said.
Expressing hope that the festival would encourage reading among young people, he said it should inspire youth to read every day, preserve endangered languages and use literature to promote diversity and mutual respect.
The Lieutenant Governor said books encourage critical thinking, inspire imagination and contribute to personal growth.
“Nothing matches the power of writing. Combined with a strong imagination, it becomes a lasting strength. A vibrant book festival creates an environment where literature becomes accessible, inspiring and meaningful for everyone,” he said.
Sinha observed that within a short span, the Chinar Book Festival has evolved into a significant intellectual movement across Jammu and Kashmir, providing a platform for ideas, discussions and knowledge exchange.
Drawing a parallel between writers and the iconic Chinar tree, he said both symbolise endurance, wisdom and inspiration.
“Writers and their books guide human civilisation through the ages. Together, we share the responsibility of restoring Jammu and Kashmir as a leading centre of education, literature and youth empowerment,” he said.
Highlighting the festival’s contribution to cultural preservation, the Lieutenant Governor appreciated efforts to revive the ancient Sharada script and initiatives such as Tamil-Kashmiri literary dialogues, saying they reflected the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ by connecting regions, languages and generations.
He stressed that the success of a book festival should not be measured by book sales alone.
“The true success of any book festival lies in the ideas and conversations it generates. If a young person finds a book here that changes the course of life, that will be the festival’s greatest achievement,” he said.
Urging young people to cultivate reading and writing habits, Sinha appealed to every student to read at least one book beyond textbooks every month and encouraged aspiring writers to write at least one page every day.
He said the Chinar Book Festival should continue to strengthen the roots of cultural identity while empowering future generations through knowledge and creativity.
During the visit, the Lieutenant Governor toured various book stalls, interacted with exhibitors, released several publications in different languages and asked organisers to explore the possibility of holding a similar book festival in Jammu.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, National Book Trust Chairman Prof. Milind Sudhakar Marathe, Commissioner Secretary, School and Higher Education, Ram Niwas Sharma, National Book Trust Director Yuvraj Malik, Chief Convener of the Chinar Book Festival Dr. Amit Wanchoo, Director of the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language Dr. Md. Shams Equbal, J&K Waqf Board Chairperson Dr. Syed Darakhshan Andrabi, SKUAST-Kashmir Vice Chancellor Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganai, Principal Secretary Culture Brij Mohan Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Akshay Labroo, SSP Srinagar G.V. Sundeep Chakravarthy, eminent literary personalities, students, book lovers and senior officials were present on the occasion.(KINS)
LG Manoj Sinha inaugurates third edition of chinar book festival
