Srinagar: The serene lawns of the SKICC in Srinagar turned into a vibrant literary hub on Saturday as Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the second edition of the Chinar Book Festival, celebrating India’s linguistic and literary diversity.Organised by the National Book Trust in collaboration with the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, the nine-day event runs through August 10 and features nearly 200 publishers. The festival highlights books in multiple languages including English, Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri, and others from across the country.Pradhan, addressing an audience of students, authors, and scholars, called Kashmir a “sacred land of confluence,” and emphasised the role of literature in national unity and cultural continuity. “Whether it’s Kashmiri or Tamil, Malayalam or Assamese, all Indian languages are national languages,” Pradhan said. “Children in Kashmir should read Tamil literature, and children in Tamil Nadu must be exposed to Kashmiri writing. This is how we strengthen India’s unity.”A key moment on opening day was the release of the Kashmiri translation of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh: Through the Ages, a book originally launched in English and Hindi by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The translation, published by the NBT, was described by Pradhan as a crucial link between Kashmir’s ancient past and modern identity.”Translation is more than a linguistic task—it is a national responsibility,” said Pradhan, commending author Dr. Raghubendra Tanwar and translator Brij Nath Betab. He added that ten significant books will be translated into Kashmiri and Dogri next year as part of a broader push toward inclusive learning.The festival’s new addition, Rajatarangini Samvad, introduces a curated series of discussions and workshops around Kalhana’s ancient chronicle Rajatarangini. Sessions will explore its literary, historical, and socio-political dimensions. A National Exhibition on the Sharda Script is another major draw. It showcases the origins and evolution of the once-dominant Kashmiri script, with rare manuscripts, replicas, and interactive displays designed to reconnect visitors with their literary roots.For the first time, the festival is also hosting a Gojri Translation Workshop, aimed at fostering multilingual literature across Hindi, Urdu, Dogri, Kashmiri, Gojri, and English.Pradhan highlighted Kashmir’s intellectual legacy, calling the Valley a crucible of thought and creativity. “Kashmir’s answer has never been violence—it has always been literature,” he said. “This land has nurtured saints, seekers, and scholars. Even today, its youth reach for books, not bullets.”Underscoring the government’s commitment to education reform, Pradhan said the National Education Policy 2020 is being actively implemented across Jammu and Kashmir. Efforts include promoting mother-tongue instruction and enhancing early childhood education in regional languages such as Kashmiri, Urdu, Dogri, Hindi, and Punjabi.He also announced new initiatives: expanding smart classrooms, improving digital infrastructure, and boosting central institutions like NITs, IITs, Kendriya Vidyalayas, and Navodaya Vidyalayas in the region.Calling books “lifelong companions,” Pradhan proposed a new Library Movement in Jammu and Kashmir. He directed the NBT to work with local bodies to establish modern libraries in Srinagar and Jammu, while promoting digital and mobile library access in remote villages.“Without books, our future remains incomplete,” he said. “Let us turn every school, village, and town into a center of knowledge and imagination.”Pradhan noted that the land has been home to Adi Shankaracharya, the Sanskrit tradition, Islamic scholarship, and the Sharda script—layers of heritage that form India’s pluralistic identity.“Kashmir is not merely a region—it is a civilizational seat, a place of knowledge, philosophy, and belief,” he said. “This festival is not just about books. It’s about history, identity, and shaping the future of India’s knowledge systems.”