Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday urged writers and historians to rectify the “false and fabricated narratives” in history books by presenting accurate, evidence-based accounts that challenge distortions of the past.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the Kashmir Literature Festival, organised by the Srikula Foundation at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Sinha said that writers have a responsibility to conduct thorough research and use credible evidence to correct misleading historical versions.
“Writers must rely on critical proof to challenge and correct distorted historical accounts. It’s essential to identify misinformation and counter it with verified facts,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor noted that during the colonial period and post-independence, certain groups of writers deliberately distorted India’s history to promote ideological agendas.
“Today’s young historians must provide factually correct narratives and expose those lies. In recent years, new writers have begun to do justice to India’s true history, which is an encouraging development. Efforts to take Indian literature to a global platform are also highly commendable,” he added.
Sinha said that Jammu and Kashmir, in particular, had suffered from decades of manipulated narratives, often promoted under pressure.
“Writers and media persons have themselves admitted that, out of fear of terrorists and their ecosystem, they were forced to propagate the narrative pushed from across the border,” he remarked.
He asserted that with the terror ecosystem dismantled, this is the time to present the true, unbiased narrative of Jammu and Kashmir — one that is free from fear and distortion, to rebuild trust and accelerate socio-economic progress.
In conclusion, the Lieutenant Governor called upon writers to provide fresh perspectives and vision that help readers navigate a changing world, fostering a deeper understanding of nature, culture, and collective well-being.
