Srinagar: Three new cinemas will come up in Bandipora, Ganderbal and Kulgam districts of Jammu and Kashmir in September, taking the total number of districts in the valley to have film theatres to seven, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Tuesday.
“Cinema halls are opening in small cities also after 30 years. Some days back, a cinema hall opened in Baramulla. They were started in Pulwama and Shopian last year,” Sinha said while addressing a function in Srinagar.
“In the last week of September, cinema halls will be dedicated to the public in Bandipora, Ganderbal, and Kulgam districts,” he added.
There was an attempt by the neighbouring country and an ecosystem of few people to kill the dreams and aspirations of the lakhs of people in J-K over the last many years, he said.
“But, I can say today, that the citizens, the youth of J-K, have new dreams, and are helping in creating a new atmosphere. Everyone should keep in mind that art flourishes in the land of peace only. Where there is no peace, art will not flourish there,” the LG said.
Sinha said J-K has touched new heights in the sector in the last four years.
“You (artists) have suffered a lot because of the situation, but now, our artists are working with new energy to bring back J-K’s lost glory,” he added.
Lt Governor said, “there has to be a fine balance between science and music, only then the consciousness of the society will bloom, only then the nation will be able to progress”.
The mind and consciousness of the society both are born out of the art. Consciousness is deeply embedded in poetry, music and different forms of art. No matter how developed a society is, no matter to what extent artificial intelligence is influencing our lives, it will be incomplete without art, the Lt Governor observed.
He said, the sensibility of the artists is absolutely pure, as pure as the mind of a small child.
When such artists rise up and start connecting hearts through programme like Amrit Yuva Kalotsav, then their generosity, their tolerance, their spirit of philanthropy, austerity, sacrifice and spiritual practice contributes in the rapid progress of the nation and no force of the world can stop the prosperity of such society, he added.
The Lt Governor also highlighted the endeavours of the UT Administration for the revival of old Crafts of Jammu Kashmir like Namda and the initiatives taken for the training of the artisans.