Urges writers to ensure people abroad don’t distort India’s history
Srinagar, May 30: Asserting that 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, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday said it is the responsibility of writers to correct such errors and take the truth to global readers.
Addressing writers, researchers, historians, academicians and literary figures during the inaugural session of 2-day Kashmir Literature Festival-2026 here, LG Sinha, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said, “We failed to communicate our priceless traditions, culture, knowledge, and sciences and that’s why many people to claim that certain things came from other places or introduced by the invaders. These assertions are baseless.”
“We must repeatedly remind the world that when the Vedas were composed some 6,000 years ago, India was the center of the world’s economy, education, culture, and philosophy. For centuries, India was the engine of global civilization and culture. It laid the foundations for socio economic advancement across the world through its gift in science, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
He stated that there is an urgent need to restore history and convey its true form to every section of society so that India’s narrative is properly shaped. The Lieutenant Governor observed that our ancestors, since the Vedic age, recorded facts and transmitted knowledge with great accuracy, but for various reasons modern times saw India lose the habit of writing its own history.
The Lieutenant Governor said that foreign historians have, sometimes deliberately, omitted India’s ancient discoveries and achievements in science, literature, art, and architecture.
“When India stood at the peak of scientific achievement, many countries showed almost no mention of science. The earliest references to science, mathematics, and astronomy in Persia and other places appear only in the eighth century, and even those owe much to India. Europe’s first Renaissance in the 12th century drew on India’s treasury of knowledge, science, culture, and art. Centuries before any other countries discovered invention and innovations, India had already established itself as a scientific civilization,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor said that India’s modernity has often led the world, with scientific contributions unmatched in history. He also said that writers should present creation of our nation’s great talents in simple, accessible language.
He said writers, poets and scholars play a greater role in shaping civilizations than institutions. “India’s literary world is still like Hanuman Ji before realising his own strength. Just as Hanuman was reminded of his powers before crossing Lanka, our literary and intellectual community too must realise the depth of India’s civilizational strength and present it to the world,” he said.
Calling writers immortal through their creations, LG Sinha said great poets, authors and creators never die because their works continue to inspire generations. “Great poets, writers and creative minds become immortal through their knowledge and work. The human body is mortal, but creation becomes the symbol of immortality,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor said he had witnessed many occasions where institutions spent crores of rupees but failed to create the impact that a single novel or literary work could create. “Literature has the power to influence minds and generations in ways institutions often cannot,” he said.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech from the Red Fort, LG Sinha said the time had come to completely erase the colonial mindset and reclaim India’s true historical narrative. “Some time ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from the Red Fort, said that the time has come to remove the colonial mindset. We must ensure that our history is not presented in a distorted manner,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor said one of the greatest failures of modern India was that it forgot to write and preserve its own history properly. “In modern times, India forgot to write its own history correctly.”
LG Sinha said several researchers and scholars across the world had acknowledged India’s contribution to medicine, mathematics and scientific thought.
“Indian medicinal systems, mathematics and scientific learning influenced scholars and civilizations across continents,” he said.
Referring to Europe’s intellectual awakening, the Lieutenant Governor said many western scholars themselves accepted that India possessed deep-rooted traditions of knowledge and scientific understanding.
“I want to say that the roots of our knowledge systems have always been extremely deep. Colonialism damaged confidence in our own civilization and knowledge traditions,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor said whenever discussions on history and science take place, names like Newton and the theory of gravity are remembered, but India’s scientific capabilities and maritime strength existed centuries earlier.
“People often mention Newton and the theory of gravity, but India too possessed deep scientific understanding and advanced capabilities long before many western developments,” he said.
Referring to the historical friendship between Alexander and King Porus, LG Sinha said ancient India was globally respected for its steel and metallurgy.
“There are historical references showing that Alexander gifted special Indian steel associated with King Porus, which reflected the advanced metallurgical traditions of ancient India,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor said not only India’s past but also its present achievements must reach the people.
“We must take not just our past but also our present achievements to the people. India has risen strongly and today we have become the world’s fourth-largest economy,” he said.
Expressing confidence in India’s future, LG Sinha said the country would achieve the dream of a developed India by 2047.
“By 2047, India will achieve the vision of a developed nation. A new emotional awakening has started in society and people are increasingly understanding their responsibility towards the nation,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor said writers and thinkers stand above nations in shaping public consciousness and civilization.
“Always remember that writers are greater than nations because they shape the thinking and direction of societies and civilizations,” he said.
Rejecting the notion that reading culture was declining, LG Sinha said the world today was reading more than ever before.
“Today the world is not reading less, but more. Research in 2025 suggested that more than 40 lakh books were published globally,” he said.
He said digital platforms and open-access communication had created opportunities to build positive narratives globally.
“The doors have opened. We must use these platforms and mediums to build strong and positive narratives,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor also remembered freedom fighters, saints, scholars and workers who protected India’s civilization and identity during difficult times.
“Our freedom fighters, saints, scholars and workers always came forward whenever the nation faced difficult times. Intellectuals and writers have always protected the spirit and identity of this country,” he said.
The two-day Kashmir Literature Festival at SKICC would feature literary discussions, poetry sessions, historical debates and interactions involving writers, historians, researchers and academicians from across the country. (KNO)
