Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday, 30 May inaugurated the two-day Srinagar Literary Festival at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), declaring that all participants would experience the cultural, intellectual and literary depth of Kashmir first-hand. The festival runs through 31 May and has drawn writers, poets and scholars from across India.

L-G Sinha's Address: Literature Over Institutions

Welcoming delegates who had travelled to the Union Territory from outside, L-G Sinha said he was confident visitors would 'not only see but also deeply feel the literary, cultural and intellectual soul of this land.' He argued that writers, poets and scholars wield greater civilisational influence than institutions, noting that a single novel could achieve what crores of rupees in institutional spending sometimes could not.

'I have seen institutions spending crores of rupees, yet failing to create the impact that one novel can create in society,' he said. He called great poets and authors immortal through their creations, adding that while the human body is mortal, creative work endures across generations.

Reclaiming India's Civilisational Narrative

Invoking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks from the ramparts of the Red Fort, L-G Sinha said the time had come to completely erase the colonial mindset and restore India's authentic historical narrative. He called on scholars and researchers to ensure that history is not presented in a distorted manner and that India's ancient contributions reach local readers and future generations.

He drew on a Ramayana metaphor to make his point: 'India's literary world is still like Lord Hanuman Ji before realising his own strength. Just as Lord Hanuman was reminded of his powers before crossing Lanka, our literary and intellectual community, too, must realise the depth of India's civilisational strength and present it to the world.'

India's Scientific Legacy and Historical Contributions

The Lieutenant Governor argued that India had laid the foundations of mathematics, science and astronomy centuries before many Western developments — contributions he said were acknowledged in Persian and Arab texts from the eighth century onwards but were subsequently obscured. He cited references to Alexander gifting special Indian steel associated with King Porus as evidence of India's advanced metallurgical traditions in antiquity.

'When many parts of the world were struggling in darkness, India was a major centre of science, culture and knowledge,' he said, adding that colonial rule had damaged confidence in India's own civilisational traditions. He noted that several researchers and scholars worldwide had acknowledged India's contributions to medicine, mathematics and scientific thought.

India's Present Rise and the 2047 Vision

L-G Sinha also highlighted India's contemporary achievements, noting that the country had become the world's fourth-largest economy and would achieve the vision of a developed nation by 2047. He said a new emotional awakening was visible in society, with citizens increasingly recognising their responsibility toward the nation.

Rejecting the perception that reading culture was declining, he cited research suggesting that more than 40 lakh books were published globally in 2025. He urged writers and intellectuals to leverage digital platforms and open-access communication to build strong, positive narratives for India on the world stage.