Chinar Book Festival evolves into vibrant intellectual movement across J&K
Srinagar, July 18: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday said that nothing matches the power of writing and called upon the youth to develop the habit of reading to become good writers.
Addressing the third edition of the Chinar Book Festival here, Sinha said, “Nothing matches the power of writing. Combined with a strong imagination, it becomes a lasting strength. A vibrant book festival creates an environment and a welcoming space where literature becomes accessible, inspiring and meaningful for everyone.”
The Lieutenant Governor congratulated the National Book Trust and the organisers for their efforts in making the festival a platform for readers, writers and thinkers.
“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,” he said.
Sinha expressed hope that the festival would inspire the youth to read every day, protect endangered languages and use literature to appreciate and respect diversity.
He said books were like living conversations that encouraged people to think deeply, ask questions, challenge their beliefs and grow.
The Lieutenant Governor said that within a short span of time, the Chinar Book Festival had emerged as a unique celebration of ideas and a vibrant intellectual movement across Jammu and Kashmir.
“I believe writers and thinkers are like glowing lamps and blooming roses. In many ways, they mirror the majestic Chinar tree. In Kashmir, the Chinar is a living symbol of patience, beauty and endurance. Writers and their books share this same lasting spirit, guiding human civilisation through the ages,” he said.
Sinha said there was a collective responsibility to restore Jammu and Kashmir as a leading centre for education, literature and youth empowerment.
Platform for Ideas and Dialogue
The Lieutenant Governor said the Chinar Book Festival had emerged as a national platform for the exchange of ideas, debates and knowledge. Its identity, he said, was no longer confined to book stalls and launches but had expanded into a forum for generating ideas, encouraging dialogue and empowering the youth.
He said workshops, panel discussions and literary conversations held during previous editions had provided fresh momentum to Jammu and Kashmir’s rich literary traditions.
Sinha also highlighted efforts to revive the Sharada script and initiatives such as Tamil-Kashmiri dialogues as examples of the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.
The festival, he said, had become a bridge connecting regions, languages and generations.
He emphasised that the success of a book festival should not be measured merely by book sales.
“The true success of any book festival lies in the ideas and conversations it generates. If a discussion that begins at this festival reaches a college or university, then our goal is successful. If the ideas that emerge here become the basis for future collaborations, the festival has achieved its objective. And if a young person finds a book that changes the course of their life, that will be the greatest achievement of the Chinar Book Festival,” he said.
Sinha urged the youth to read at least one book beyond their textbooks every month and called upon young writers to resolve to write at least one page every day.
“Through the Chinar Book Festival, we are ensuring that our children have roots in their identity as well as wings for the future,” he said.
He expressed the desire to see local libraries and small-town book clubs connected with the festival so that its celebration of knowledge could reach people throughout the year. He also called for greater interaction among literary, musical and visual art forms.
The Lieutenant Governor visited various book stalls, interacted with exhibitors and released several publications in different languages. He also asked the organisers to plan a similar book festival in Jammu.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo; Chairman of the National Book Trust Prof. Milind Sudhakar Marathe; Commissioner Secretary, School and Higher Education, Ram Niwas Sharma; Director, National Book Trust, Yuvraj Malik; Chief Convener of the Chinar Book Festival Dr Amit Wanchoo; Director, National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, Dr Mohammad Shams Equbal; and several eminent literary personalities, book lovers, students and youth attended the event.
Chairperson of the J&K Waqf Board Dr Syed Darakhshan Andrabi, Vice Chancellor of SKUAST-Kashmir Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, Principal Secretary Culture Brij Mohan Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Akshay Labroo, SSP Srinagar Dr GV Sundeep Chakravarthy, heads of educational institutions and senior officials were also present.—KNO
