Srinagar, Jul 18: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday attended the third edition of the Chinar Book Festival in Srinagar, describing it as a growing intellectual movement aimed at fostering a vibrant community of readers, writers and thinkers across Jammu & Kashmir.
Addressing the gathering, Sinha congratulated the National Book Trust and the organisers for successfully establishing the festival as a major platform for literature, knowledge exchange and cultural engagement.
Calling the festival “more than just an event,” the Lieutenant Governor said it was helping transform Jammu & Kashmir into a national hub for knowledge, culture and creativity.
“This festival is a movement to build a vibrant community of readers, writers and thinkers. Our goal is to transform Jammu & Kashmir into a national hub for knowledge, culture and creativity,” he said, expressing hope that the event would inspire young people to cultivate reading habits, preserve endangered languages and embrace diversity through literature.
Sinha highlighted the enduring importance of books, describing them as “living conversations” that encourage critical thinking, challenge beliefs and inspire personal growth. He said literary festivals create an environment where literature becomes accessible, meaningful and inspiring for people of all ages.
The Lieutenant Governor noted that in a short span of time, the Chinar Book Festival had evolved into a unique celebration of ideas and a vibrant intellectual movement in Jammu & Kashmir.
He likened writers and thinkers to the iconic Chinar tree, describing both as symbols of patience, beauty and endurance. “Together, we share the responsibility to restore Jammu & Kashmir as a leading hub for education, literature and youth empowerment,” he said.
Sinha said the festival had emerged as a national platform for debates, discussions and knowledge-sharing, extending far beyond book stalls and publication launches. He noted that workshops, panel discussions and literary conversations held during previous editions had reinvigorated the region’s literary traditions.
He also praised efforts to revive the ancient Sharada script and highlighted initiatives such as Tamil–Kashmiri dialogues as examples of the spirit of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat,” describing the festival as a bridge connecting regions, languages and generations.
Emphasising that the success of a book festival should not be measured by sales figures, Sinha said its true value lies in the ideas, conversations and collaborations it generates. He said the festival would be successful if discussions initiated there reached colleges and universities or if a young reader discovered a book that changed the course of their life.
The Lieutenant Governor urged youth to read at least one book beyond their academic curriculum every month and encouraged aspiring writers to make a habit of writing at least one page daily.
He said the festival should continue to expand its outreach by connecting local libraries and small-town book clubs, ensuring that the spirit of literary engagement continues throughout the year and promotes interaction among literature, music and visual arts.
During the event, Sinha visited various book stalls, interacted with exhibitors and released several publications in different languages. He also asked organisers to explore holding a similar book festival in Jammu.
Among those present were 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, and Director of the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language Dr Md. Shams Equbal.
Several literary personalities, students, book lovers, senior government officials and heads of educational institutions also attended the event.
