Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday used the Gandhi Jayanti celebration in Srinagar to caution young people against misinformation, urging them to adopt Mahatma Gandhi’s discipline of verifying facts and engaging in dialogue before reacting.
The programme was organised by the School Education Department in collaboration with the Department of Culture on the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation. The Lieutenant Governor conveyed his wishes to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and congratulated the children who took part in cultural programmes, along with the toppers of the district-level symposium on truth and non-violence. He also commended the Kashmiri rendition of a Gandhian bhajan by Gulzar Ahmed, the Hindi performance by students of the Institute of Music and Fine Arts and a skit presented by the Girls Higher Secondary School, Kothibag.
Reflecting on the day, Sinha said Gandhi gave India a new way of thinking, one built on standing against injustice and living with dignity, and that the legacy of truth and non-violence stays relevant in a fast-changing, technology-driven world. Technology, he noted, has connected people globally but has also raised questions of inclusivity and truth. Describing truth as a spiritual discipline, he said it is the habit of verifying before believing any information and of listening and understanding before responding. “Satyameva Jayate” must remain a guiding principle for democracy, he said.
The Lieutenant Governor stressed that technology should remain under human control and serve as an instrument of progress, not a substitute for conscience. He asked children and youth to use modern tools responsibly while staying rooted in human values, reminding them that the direction of any instrument is decided by the hand that wields it.
Underscoring India’s strength in diversity, he said unity must be strengthened through everyday acts of justice, respect and compassion, and recalled Gandhi’s concern for the weakest person in society. Progress, he said, should be measured by inclusivity and welfare.
Linking Gandhian ideals to the goal of a Developed India by 2047, Sinha said Bapu’s stress on self-reliance, in which village enterprises play a major role, finds expression in the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is lending strength to local products, artisans, small enterprises and farmers. He added that building such a nation also demands character-building in children, because a nation’s character is its most permanent infrastructure.
He closed with questions for every citizen: whether they are advancing truth or rumour, engaging in dialogue or merely reacting, and uniting the country or unknowingly dividing it. Answering them honestly, he said, would be a true tribute to Bapu.
Minister Sakina Itoo, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Padma Bhushan Rajeev Sethi, Padma Shri Dr S.P. Varma of Gandhi Global Family J&K, the Commissioner Secretary of the School Education Department, senior officials, heads of institutions, teachers and students attended the event.
