Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha inaugurated the ‘Rashtriya Kavi Sammelan’ in Hindi, Dogri and Urdu, at Abhinav Theatre today.

The three-day literary event is being organised by J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages as a part of the 76th Republic Day celebrations.

The Lieutenant Governor extended his felicitations to the acclaimed and young poets from J&K and other parts of the country participating in the Poetry Sessions.

He said the Rashtriya Kavi Sammelan, starting from today, reflects the richness and variety of our unique literary heritage. In these sessions we get an opportunity to see a repository of wisdom and tradition of our civilization that has existed over millennia, he further added.

On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor paid homage to the great litterateurs of Dogri, Hindi and Urdu languages and highlighted the pivotal role of poets and writers in the society.

“In India every generation of poets, writers have made rich contribution to the creative tradition and cultural identity. They have also ensured that our traditions are passed on to the next generation,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor called upon the poets and literary personalities to become the voice of patriotism and unity and make their valuable contribution in building a vibrant, progressive and united society.

“Poetry Art form has a social responsibility. It can be a powerful medium for creating awareness about socio-economic issues, inspiring the spirit of patriotism and portraying the values of harmony and brotherhood,” he said.

The Lieutenant Governor observed that the Jammu Kashmir is witnessing a historic transformation and it is our collective responsibility to reaffirm our commitment to inclusive development and work with dedication.

In today’s Hindi Poetry session, Sh Harish, Sh Upender Pandey, Sh Rajesh Agarwal, Sh Shambhu Shikhar, Sh Deepak Saini, Sh Chetan Charchit, Sh Shailender Madhur, Sh Rajesh Jain, Sh Dharamveer Nishchal, Sh Santosh Singh, Ms Padmini Singh and other renowned poets and young talent, enthralled the audience through their captivating poetry recitation.

Sh Suresh Kumar Gupta, Principal Secretary, Culture Department; Sh Sachin Kumar Vaishya, Deputy Commissioner, Jammu; Ms Harvinder Kour, Secretary, JKAACL; renowned artists and people, especially the youth in large number were present.