Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, May 30

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday called on writers to shape a positive discourse through literature and help remove every trace of colonial mindset by presenting India’s history and civilisational legacy in its true perspective.

Inaugurating the third edition of the Kashmir Literature Festival in Srinagar, Sinha said writers have a crucial role in inspiring society through fiction, non-fiction and other creative forms.

“Writers must shape a positive discourse through fiction, non-fiction and other creative forms and inspire people, because a writer’s craft lives not only in words, but in the pulse of people,” he said.

The Lieutenant Governor said there was a need to challenge distorted narratives about India’s past.

“We must erase every trace of the colonial mindset and ensure that people abroad do not distort our history and present to serve their own narratives,” he said, adding that it was the responsibility of writers to correct such errors and take the truth to global readers.

Sinha said India had historically been a global centre of economy, education, culture and philosophy, and its contributions to science, mathematics, astronomy and medicine had shaped civilisations across the world.

“We must repeatedly remind the world that when the Vedas were composed around 6,000 years ago, India was the centre of the world’s economy, education, culture and philosophy,” he said.

The Lieutenant Governor said there was an urgent need to restore history in its true form and communicate it to every section of society so that India’s narrative could be properly shaped.

“Our ancestors, since the Vedic age, recorded facts and transmitted knowledge with great accuracy, but for various reasons in modern times India lost the habit of writing its own history,” he said.

He said India had failed to communicate its traditions, knowledge systems and scientific achievements effectively, allowing others to make unfounded claims about their origins.

Sinha also said foreign historians had at times overlooked or deliberately omitted India’s ancient achievements in science, literature, art and architecture.

“When India stood at the peak of scientific achievement, many countries had little mention of science. Centuries before many others discovered inventions and innovations, India had already established itself as a scientific civilisation,” he said.

Highlighting the present, the Lieutenant Governor said India’s story was not only rooted in the past but also reflected in its current progress.

“Despite centuries of subjugation and plunder, we have risen to become the world’s fourth-largest economy and the fastest-growing major economy. By 2047, we aim to become a fully developed nation,” he said.

He urged writers and thinkers to present India’s intellectual and cultural heritage in simple and accessible language and contribute to building a new national narrative grounded in historical truth.

“The task is not self-praise, but for respected writers and thinkers to build India’s new narrative on this strong foundation. Writers have the power to change civilisations,” Sinha said.