{"id":21139,"date":"2026-05-31T00:48:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T00:48:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/?p=21139"},"modified":"2026-05-31T00:48:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T00:48:26","slug":"kashmir-literature-festival-we-must-erase-every-trace-of-colonial-mindset-lg-sinha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/2026\/05\/31\/kashmir-literature-festival-we-must-erase-every-trace-of-colonial-mindset-lg-sinha\/","title":{"rendered":"=== Kashmir Literature Festival === We must erase every trace of colonial mindset: LG Sinha"},"content":{"rendered":"

Urges writers to ensure people abroad don\u2019t distort India\u2019s history<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\u2014Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said, \u201cWe 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.”<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must repeatedly remind the world that when the Vedas were composed some 6,000 years ago, India was the center of the world\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

He stated that there is an urgent need to restore history and convey its true form to every section of society so that India\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

The Lieutenant Governor said that foreign historians have, sometimes deliberately, omitted India\u2019s ancient discoveries and achievements in science, literature, art, and architecture.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen 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\u2019s first Renaissance in the 12th century drew on India\u2019s 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,\u201d the Lieutenant Governor said.<\/p>\n

The Lieutenant Governor said that India\u2019s modernity has often led the world, with scientific contributions unmatched in history. He also said that writers should present creation of our nation\u2019s great talents in simple, accessible language.<\/p>\n

He said writers, poets and scholars play a greater role in shaping civilizations than institutions. \u201cIndia\u2019s 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\u2019s civilizational strength and present it to the world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Calling writers immortal through their creations, LG Sinha said great poets, authors and creators never die because their works continue to inspire generations. \u201cGreat poets, writers and creative minds become immortal through their knowledge and work. The human body is mortal, but creation becomes the symbol of immortality,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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. \u201cLiterature has the power to influence minds and generations in ways institutions often cannot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s speech from the Red Fort, LG Sinha said the time had come to completely erase the colonial mindset and reclaim India\u2019s true historical narrative. \u201cSome 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Lieutenant Governor said one of the greatest failures of modern India was that it forgot to write and preserve its own history properly. \u201cIn modern times, India forgot to write its own history correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n

LG Sinha said several researchers and scholars across the world had acknowledged India\u2019s contribution to medicine, mathematics and scientific thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndian medicinal systems, mathematics and scientific learning influenced scholars and civilizations across continents,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Referring to Europe\u2019s intellectual awakening, the Lieutenant Governor said many western scholars themselves accepted that India possessed deep-rooted traditions of knowledge and scientific understanding.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Lieutenant Governor said whenever discussions on history and science take place, names like Newton and the theory of gravity are remembered, but India\u2019s scientific capabilities and maritime strength existed centuries earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople often mention Newton and the theory of gravity, but India too possessed deep scientific understanding and advanced capabilities long before many western developments,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Referring to the historical friendship between Alexander and King Porus, LG Sinha said ancient India was globally respected for its steel and metallurgy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are historical references showing that Alexander gifted special Indian steel associated with King Porus, which reflected the advanced metallurgical traditions of ancient India,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Lieutenant Governor said not only India\u2019s past but also its present achievements must reach the people.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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\u2019s fourth-largest economy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Expressing confidence in India\u2019s future, LG Sinha said the country would achieve the dream of a developed India by 2047.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Lieutenant Governor said writers and thinkers stand above nations in shaping public consciousness and civilization.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways remember that writers are greater than nations because they shape the thinking and direction of societies and civilizations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Rejecting the notion that reading culture was declining, LG Sinha said the world today was reading more than ever before.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday the world is not reading less, but more. Research in 2025 suggested that more than 40 lakh books were published globally,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said digital platforms and open-access communication had created opportunities to build positive narratives globally.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe doors have opened. We must use these platforms and mediums to build strong and positive narratives,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Lieutenant Governor also remembered freedom fighters, saints, scholars and workers who protected India\u2019s civilization and identity during difficult times.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Urges writers to ensure people abroad don\u2019t distort India\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21140,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-news","category-kt-front"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21139"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21139\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21141,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21139\/revisions\/21141"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}