Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, June 20

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday said India’s civilisational legacy positioned it to act as a bridge between nations and cultures, urging greater emphasis on cultural diplomacy and the country’s soft power in an increasingly fragmented world.

Delivering the keynote address at the Srinagar-Nalanda Dialogue, Sinha said India’s historical traditions of learning, intellectual exchange and cultural diversity offered a model for fostering global understanding.

“Centuries ago, India’s knowledge unified the globe. Today, we can be the bridge the world needs,” he said.

Sinha said good governance and cultural dialogue together shaped inclusive societies and informed public policy. He described the Srinagar-Nalanda Dialogue as an opportunity to reconnect two historic centres of learning that contributed to the development of one of the world’s oldest living civilisations.

Drawing parallels between the ancient university of Nalanda and Kashmir’s scholarly traditions, he said both regions had served as centres of intellectual inquiry, attracting students and thinkers from across Asia.

He noted that India’s youth had inherited a rich legacy of languages, philosophies, artistic traditions and religious beliefs, adding that diversity remained one of the country’s greatest strengths.

Referring to ancient institutions such as Nalanda, Takshashila and Vikramashila, Sinha said India had historically functioned as a global hub of learning, attracting scholars from regions stretching from East Asia to West Asia.

He called for renewed investment in heritage conservation, infrastructure development and cultural exchanges to strengthen historic knowledge centres across the country, including Srinagar, Varanasi, Madurai, Puri and Thanjavur.

The event was organised jointly by the Ministry of Tourism, Jammu and Kashmir’s Department of Culture, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, the National School of Drama and Nava Nalanda Mahavihara University, and attended by academics, cultural figures and senior officials.