Poetry in essence of Jammu and Kashmir's glorious history: LG Manoj Sinha

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinhawas the Chief Guest on the occasion.Organized by Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL), in collaborationwith Radio Mirchi FM, the event witnessed the participation of acclaimed poets like Manzar Bhopali,Prof. WaseemBarelvi, IrshadKamil, Ana Dehlavi, Prof. Raza Abbas Nayyar, Khushboo Sharma andKunwarJaved, who were the guest poets for the evening, received huge rounds of applause from thejam-packed audience for their enthralling recitation of Urdu poetry. 

While addressing the gathering, the Lt Governor expressed gratitude to the renowned poets from acrossthe country for spreading the fragrance of their literary talent in the Union Territory of Jammu andKashmir.

Reciting poems of various veteran poets, the Lt Governor observed that the poetry is in the essence ofJ&K’s glorious history. 

“By bringing a pool of renowned, veteran and young poets under one roof, the initiative is aimed atnurturing and showcasing the capabilities of the talent of J&K,” observed the Lt Governor. 

Speaking on the present scenario of the UT, the Lt Governor remarked, “J&K is witnessing a newdawn of change, change towards betterment, and prosperity with plethora of opportunities beingprovided to Youth for transforming the socio-economic landscape of the UT.” 

The Lt Governor said that the UT Administration at all levels is working towards growth and equitabledevelopment of the UT and welfare of its people. 

More such initiatives to explore the literary and otherartistic talents of J&K would be taken in the coming days, he added. 

The great display of talent from the youth of J&K in recently held National Youth Festival, besides two ofthe UT’s achievers from Art and Literature & Education have been conferred with this year’s prestigious Padma Shri awards, itself speaks about the kind of ability and talent the people of J&K possesses, the LtGovernor said. 

On the occasion, the Lt Governor felicitated the participating poets including new found talent, andasked the young and aspiring poets to reap maximum benefits of the opportunity and inspire otherswith their creativity. 
In his welcome address, Secretary, JKAACL, Munir-ul-Islam, underscored the significance of the event.He informed that 450 entries from youth of Jammu and Kashmir were received during a poetrycompetition organized across the UT.

After adjudging each entry, 10 best young poets from J&K, 5 eachfrom Urdu and Hindi poetry category were chosen by adjudicators to recite their poetry during theevents, besides providing them with an opportunity to interact with the veteran poets. 

Prominent Poets from J&K including Dr. Liyaqat Jaffri, Dr. Nazeer Azad, BalrajBakshi, RukhsanaJabeen,Dr. ShafaqSopori and Pritpal Singh Betab, besides young poets from the UT – Mohammad Akram,NadiyaRiyaz, Umar-bin-Abdul Aziz, Yamin-bin-Yousuf and BasitAyoub who were selected from talenthunt competition also recited their pieces of poetry, attracting huge applause from the audience. 

Kewal Kumar Sharma, State Election Commissioner; Farooq Khan and Rajeev RaiBhatnagar- Advisors tothe Lt Governor; BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Prof. Manoj Kumar Dhar, Vice Chancellor,University of Jammu; Prof. (Dr) Ravindra Kumar Sinha, Vice Chancellor , SMVDU; RohitKansal, PrincipalSecretary, Power Development Department and Information Department; Nitishwar Kumar, PrincipalSecretary to the Lt Governor; SanjeevVerma, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu; Mukesh Singh, IGPJammu; SarmadHafeez, Secretary to the Government, Tourism And Culture Department, besides scoresof prominent and renowned artists, senior officers of Civil Administration and a large number of literaryenthusiasts attended the evening.