Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launched “Sardar Patel and Kashmir: The Untold History,” using the occasion to deliver an extended address on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s role in integrating princely states into the Indian union and shaping the modern Indian nation. The Lieutenant Governor paid tribute to the foresight of Patel and expressed appreciation for the Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan’s contributions to spiritual, educational and humanitarian work, while congratulating Dr Rizwan Kadri for editing and publishing the volume.
In his remarks, Sinha described Patel as the architect of modern India, crediting his indomitable will and practical wisdom for the integration of 562 princely states into a single, united country. He invoked Patel’s vision of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” as a guiding philosophy that continues to define India’s approach to unity in diversity, and recalled Patel’s historic declaration that not an inch of Jammu and Kashmir’s territory would be surrendered to anyone. The Lieutenant Governor went further, suggesting that had Patel been entrusted with responsibility for Jammu and Kashmir at the time, the region may have been spared decades of the difficulties it subsequently endured.
Sinha framed the book as a serious attempt to re-evaluate history with honesty and impartiality, cautioning that historical narratives have too often been shaped by ideological bias at the expense of leaders like Patel who made decisive contributions to nation-building. He urged a new generation of writers to treat history as a mirror of truth rather than a tool of glorification, and to draw lessons from the past to guide the country’s future direction.
Linking the book’s themes to more recent developments, the Lieutenant Governor described the 2019 abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A as the fulfilment of Patel’s unfinished vision for Jammu and Kashmir, characterising the constitutional change as a step towards psychological and emotional integration that opened new avenues in education, employment, entrepreneurship and development for the region’s youth. He outlined four priorities for the Union Territory’s future: peace through zero tolerance towards terrorism, accelerated infrastructure-led development, youth empowerment through the digital economy and startup ecosystem, and the revival of cultural heritage to strengthen tourism.
The book launch was attended by Acharya Shree Jitendriyapriyadasji Swamiji Maharaj, Shri Kishor Makwana of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Dr Rizwan Kadri and senior officials, underscoring the wide cross-section of religious, academic and administrative figures the event brought together.
