Artists, writers guardians of society’s collective memory: Lt Governor

Jammu, Sep 19: Describing artists and writers as guardians of society’s collective memory, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday said that they have given words to Jammu Kashmir’s priceless culture, voice to the emotions of society, and have shouldered the duty of carrying region’s heritage to future generations.
Addressing a gathering here after unveiling the statue of Acharya Abhinavagupt, the launch of the new logo of the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, the release of two books, and the inauguration of a welfare scheme for artists and writers, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha described the occasion as the beginning of a cultural renaissance reawakening the soul of the Union Territory.
The Lieutenant Governor said that the welfare scheme for artists and writers, conceived in 2021–22 and formalised in August 2024, reflects the nation’s gratitude towards those who preserve collective memory through stories, songs and our priceless traditions.
He said, “I believe that artists and writers are not only creators but also guardians of society’s collective memory. They have given words to Jammu and Kashmir’s priceless culture, voice to the emotions of society, and have shouldered the duty of carrying this Union Territory’s heritage to future generations. Therefore, honouring them is nothing less than honouring our own civilization, our own culture, and our own identity.”
The Lieutenant Governor paid tribute to Acharya Abhinavagupt as a philosopher, spiritual practitioner, poet, and master of aesthetics whose profound contributions to Kashmir Shaivism and Pratyabhijna philosophy remained confined to limited scholarly circles for centuries. He termed this neglect not merely academic but a “damage to civilizational memory,” and called for correcting historical oversights so India’s youth can access their intellectual heritage.
“The time has now come to correct these historical oversights. This task must be inspired by our commitment to truth, because our youth have the right to know how vast, how ancient, and how connected to the global community is the intellectual depth of the civilization they inherit,” he said.
Highlighting Abhinavagupt’s seminal work Tantraloka and his theory of rasa, the Lieutenant Governor said that art serves as a doorway to inner awakening, reflecting the unique Indian vision where art, life, and the pursuit of truth are inseparable.
The Lieutenant Governor congratulated Dr. Vaidehi Taman on her book Abhinavagupt: The Voice of Eternal Shiva and Ms. Akriti Sharma on Raghunath Temple, Channi Parat: Hidden Heritage of Sunderbani, describing both works as vital contributions connecting Jammu Kashmir’s heritage to India’s shared civilizational consciousness. He noted that the Raghunath Temple at Channi Parat, begun under Maharaja Gulab Singh and completed under Maharaja Ranbir Singh, exemplifies Jammu Kashmir’s rich tangible heritage.
“I want the new generation to remember that our ancestors built this nation with their wisdom, with their questions, with their experiences, and with their continuous search for truth. It is our sacred responsibility to ensure that this knowledge does not fade from memory. Our duty is to understand that knowledge, honour it, pass it on to new generations, and preserve it for the times to come,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
He highlighted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi new energy has been infused into Jammu Kashmir’s Economic and cultural landscape. He called upon universities, schools, and cultural institutions to introduce young people to thinkers like Abhinavagupt as living voices relevant to contemporary questions of consciousness and creativity, and urged greater private and institutional support for research and publishing in this field.
“We must encourage writers like Dr. Vaidehi Taman and Ms. Akriti Sharma, who, through the difficult and patient work of research, study, and interpretation, can build a bridge between ancient heritage, knowledge, and modern understanding. Such work should not only be a matter of appreciation; it must also receive our active encouragement and institutional support,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor expressed hope that the two books would reach readers across the country and that the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages would continue driving the region’s cultural renaissance forward.
“We must place the historical facts in the right perspective with confidence. We must adopt the same curiosity and the same honest scholarship that characterized our ancestors,” he said.
Arvind Gupta, Member of Legislative Assembly from Jammu West; Brij Mohan Sharma, Principal Secretary, Culture Department; Shakti Kumar Pathak, Director Anti-Corruption Bureau, J&K; Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Tejinder Singh, IGP, Jammu; Dr Rakesh Minhas, Deputy Commissioner Jammu; Shruti Awasthi, Regional Director, IGNCA; Ms. Harvinder Kour, Secretary, JKAACL; eminent literary personalities; prominent citizens from different walks of life and attended the unveiling ceremony. (KNO)