Uttarakhand government announces new initiatives to promote literature and culture

India Gazette

08-06-2025

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 8 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the state government is committed to the preservation and promotion of literature and culture. He said the government has initiated steps to honour eminent litterateurs through the 'Uttarakhand Sahitya Gaurav Samman' and is providing grants under the 'Financial Assistance Scheme for Publication of Books in Various Languages'.
Addressing the Dera Kavi Sammelan organised by QUA at the Himalayan Cultural Centre in Garhi Cantt, Dehradun, CM Dhami said, 'Our government is also working to honour outstanding litterateurs of the state with 'Sahitya Bhushan' and 'Lifetime Achievement' awards. Recently, we announced that we will provide an honorarium of five lakh rupees each. We are also organising various competitions and programs to attract the younger generation towards literature, so they can connect with their cultural and literary heritage and contribute to taking it forward'.
Welcoming all poets present at the event, including eminent poet Dr Kumar Vishwas, the Chief Minister said, 'Poets are not only the creators of words, but they are also the thinkers, guides, and motivators of society. Their poems hold a mirror to society and offer direction, especially in challenging times. Through their writings, they help bring about positive change.'
He further said that India's freedom movement gained momentum when poets and creators inspired people to participate actively in the struggle for independence through their literary contributions.
'India's freedom movement also gained momentum only when our poets and creators inspired the countrymen to play an active role in the freedom movement through their creations. The Chief Minister said that this holy land of our Devbhoomi has been a wonderful centre of creativity for centuries, where the light of ideas has inspired society in every era. Be it Shri Ayodhya Singh Upadhyay Hariaudh or Sumitranandan Pant ji, Girda or Nagarjun, the compositions of all these, written in the valleys of Uttarakhand, still resonate with us. In the holy land of Uttarakhand, on one hand, new heights of ideas are born from the lofty peaks of the Himalayas and on the other hand, the murmur of the rivers has the hidden rhythm of poetry', said Pushkar Singh Dhami. (ANI)