Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha on Saturday flagged off the Reading Marathon at the banks of Dal Lake, marking a unique convergence of knowledge, fitness, and environmental responsibility. The event, organised by the National Book Trust as part of Education Week, celebrates six successful years of the National Education Policy.
Addressing thousands of students from colleges and universities across the UT of Jammu Kashmir, the Lieutenant Governor, as per an official statement, highlighted the significance of the reading marathon as a symbol of collective learning and social responsibility.
“Education should not remain confined to books and examination halls. It must reach playgrounds, social spaces, and become a way of life. Today’s Reading Marathon is a powerful example of that vision,” he said.
The reading marathon carried the message “Run for a Green Future”. The Lieutenant Governor described this motto as a life philosophy. He emphasised that both knowledge and environmental conservation require patience, discipline, and sustained collective effort.
“Reading enriches our thoughts, running strengthens our bodies, and caring for nature awakens our conscience. Together, they prepare society to face future challenges,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor also urged young participants to take three important pledges. He asked the youth to make reading a daily habit, adopt environmental conservation in everyday life, and transform the spirit of the marathon into a lifelong commitment to bring positive change in the society.
“Let the spirit of doing something good for society become a lifelong commitment. I believe that merely reading books is not enough. True education is to put what you have read into practice. It is easy to read a book about climate change. But after reading those words, deciding that I myself will run five kilometres, spread the message of nature conservation, and bring changes into my life, is real transformation. Today you all have chosen the path of change, and that is the greatest success of Chinar Book Festival,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
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