Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha attended the release of “Sardar Patel and Kashmir: The Untold History” at Tagore Hall, Srinagar, lending his presence to a work that its author, historian Dr Rizwan Kadri, says brings together previously unreleased and lesser-known historical documents concerning Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s role in the events surrounding Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India. The book had earlier been unveiled at Ghanta Ghar in Lal Chowk before Tuesday’s formal release at the Srinagar venue.
Addressing the gathering, the Lieutenant Governor congratulated Dr Kadri for placing fresh historical documents and perspectives before readers, describing the exercise as a valuable contribution to public understanding of one of the most consequential chapters in the Union Territory’s modern history. Paying tribute to Sardar Patel, Sinha described him as a nation-builder whose decisive leadership shaped the making of a united India at a moment of extraordinary political fragmentation following independence.
Turning to Jammu and Kashmir specifically, the Lieutenant Governor recalled the events surrounding the tribal invasion of 1947, invoking the courage of Brigadier Rajinder Singh and Maqbool Sherwani, two figures whose resistance during that period has become central to the region’s collective memory of the accession crisis. Sinha used the occasion to underline what he called the importance of examining history with honesty and fairness, arguing that historical writing carries a responsibility to help society understand the truth of the past and draw lessons for the future rather than serve narrower political ends.
The Lieutenant Governor also used the platform to survey developments in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, pointing to expanding opportunities for youth in education, entrepreneurship, development and sports as evidence of the Union Territory’s changed trajectory. He reiterated his administration’s policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism, framing peace as the essential precondition for sustained development, and called on citizens to actively contribute towards upholding the supremacy of the Constitution of India.
The event drew a gathering of distinguished guests including His Holiness Acharya Swamishri Jitendriyapriyadasji Maharaj, reflecting the cross-cutting interest the book has generated among historians, religious figures and policy circles alike. With its focus on newly surfaced archival material, “Sardar Patel and Kashmir: The Untold History” is likely to feature prominently in ongoing public debate over the historiography of Jammu and Kashmir’s accession, a subject that continues to carry deep political resonance in the region more than seven decades after the events it describes.
