Jammu and Kashmir government bans 25 books for propagating 'false narrative and secessionism'

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration led by Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha has banned the publication, sale and circulation of 25 books, including works by acclaimed authors Arundhati Roy, A G Noorani, and Victoria Schofield, alleging that they propagate “false narratives,” promote secessionism, and glorify terrorism.

A notification issued by Principal Secretary Home, Chandraker Bharti declared the books as forfeited to the government, invoking Sections 152, 196, and 197 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

“It has come to the notice of the Government that certain literature propagates false narrative and secessionism in Jammu and Kashmir… and would deeply impact the psyche of youth by promoting a culture of grievance, victimhood and terrorist heroism,” the notification stated.

The order said that systematic dissemination of such material—often disguised as academic, historical, or political commentary—has been a significant factor behind radicalisation and recruitment of local youth into terrorism.

It identified 25 books “found to excite secessionism and endangering sovereignty and integrity of India, thereby, attracting the provisions of Sections 152, 196 & 197 of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023”.

The banned list includes Roy’s widely discussed Azadi: Freedom. Fascism. Fiction, which examines Kashmir’s political struggle, as well as books by Pakistani historian Schofield and legal expert A G Noorani that delve into the history and constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir.

The international books that were banned include Kashmiri-American author Hafsa Kanjwal’s Colonizing Kashmir: State-building Under Indian Occupation, Haley Duschinski’s Resisting Occupation in Kashmir, Victoria Schofield’s Kashmir in Conflict and Christopher Snedden’s Independent Kashmir.

Seema Kazi’s Between Democracy & Nation: Gender and Militarisation in Kashmir, Essar Batool’s Do you Remember Kunan Poshpora? and Ather Zia’s Resisting Disappearance: Military Occupation and Women’s Activism in Kashmir have also been banned.

Also among the banned are multiple writings of Islamic scholar Maulana Maududi, widely considered to have shaped modern Islamist thought in the sub-continent and have also been banned for allegedly promoting radical ideology.

This unprecedented move comes amid what officials describe as intensified efforts to combat “narrative warfare” in Kashmir, where militancy is often shaped not just by arms but also by ideas.

Critics, however, warn that banning books risks suppressing academic freedom and pushing critical discourse underground.

Kashmir’s chief cleric and Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said banning books by scholars and reputed historians will not erase historical facts and the repertoire of lived memories of people of Kashmir.

“It only exposes the insecurities and limited understanding of those behind such authoritarian actions, and the contradiction in proudly hosting the ongoing Book Festival to showcase its literary commitment!” he posted on X.