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Express Tribune
7 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Police confiscate books in IIOJK raids
Police in Indian Illegally-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir raided bookshops on Thursday after authorities banned 25 books, including one by Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy, saying the titles "excite secessionism" in the disputed region. The raids came after the government accused the writers of propagating "false narratives" about IIOJK, "while playing a critical role in misguiding the youth" against the Indian state. "The operation targeted materials promoting secessionist ideologies or glorifying terrorism," police said in a social media statement. "Public cooperation is solicited to uphold peace and integrity," it said. Authorities also seized Islamic literature from bookshops and homes after a similar directive in February. Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the ban "only exposes the insecurities and limited understanding of those behind such authoritarian actions". "Banning books by scholars and reputed historians will not erase historical facts and the repertoire of lived memories of people of Kashmir," Farooq said on social media platform X. The ban listed 25 books authorities said "have been identified that propagate false narrative and secessionism", including Roy's 2020 book of essays, "Azadi: Freedom, Fascism, Fiction". Roy, 63, is one of India's most famous living authors but her writing and activism, including her trenchant criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, have made her a polarising figure. Other books banned include titles by academics, including one of India's foremost constitutional experts A.G. Noorani, and Sumantra Bose, who teaches political science at the London School of Economics. Historian Siddiq Wahid said the edict contravenes the constitution, "which allows for the freedoms of speech and expression".
Express Tribune
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
India bans 25 books in IIOJK over 'secession' claims
Listen to article Police in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) raided bookshops on Thursday after authorities banned 25 books, including one by Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy, saying the titles "excite secessionism" in the contested Muslim-majority region. The raids came after the government accused the writers of propagating "false narratives" about Kashmir, "while playing a critical role in misguiding the youth" against the Indian state. "The operation targeted materials promoting secessionist ideologies or glorifying terrorism," police said in a social media statement. "Public cooperation is solicited to uphold peace and integrity," it said. Authorities also seized Islamic literature from bookshops and homes after a similar directive in February. The order banning the books was issued on Tuesday -- the six-year anniversary of New Delhi's imposition of direct rule -- although the ban took time to be brought to wider attention. Chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the ban "only exposes the insecurities and limited understanding of those behind such authoritarian actions". "Banning books by scholars and reputed historians will not erase historical facts and the repertoire of lived memories of people of Kashmir," Farooq said on social media platform X. Kashmir elected a new government in November, its first since it was brought under New Delhi's direct control, with voters backing opposition parties to lead its regional assembly. However, the local government has limited powers and the territory continues in practical terms to be governed by a New Delhi-appointed administrator. Read More: Indian Supreme Court to hear plea on restoration of IIOJK's special status The ban listed 25 books it said "have been identified that propagate false narrative and secessionism", including Roy's 2020 book of essays, "Azadi: Freedom, Fascism, Fiction". Roy, 63, is one of India's most famous living authors, but her writing and activism, including her trenchant criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, has made her a polarising figure at home. Other books banned include titles by academics, including one of India's foremost constitution experts A G Noorani, and Sumantra Bose, who teaches political science at the London School of Economics. Historian Siddiq Wahid said the edict contravenes the constitution, "which allows for the freedoms of speech and expression". "The list of banned books numbers several that are authored and published by individuals and institutions whose reputations depend on supplying evidence, logic and argument towards the conclusions they draw," Wahid told AFP. "Does that count for anything anymore?"
Middle East Eye
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Kashmir: India bans books by prominent writers over alleged 'secessionist' content
Indian authorities banned 25 books in Kashmir on Wednesday, including several written by prominent authors, alleging they promote "false narratives" about the contested territory and "incite secessionism". The New Delhi-run Home Department issued a notification which accused the books and authors of playing "a critical role in misguiding the youth, glorifying terrorism and inciting violence" against the Indian state. The ban listed 25 books it said had "been identified that propagate false narrative and secessionism", including Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy's Azadi: Freedom, Fascism, Fiction; The Kashmir Dispute 1947–2012 by A G Noorani and US-based academic Hafsa Kanjwal's Colonizing Kashmir: State-building Under Indian Occupation. The government alleged that the content of the books "would deeply impact the psyche of youth by promoting a culture of grievance, victimhood and terrorist heroism". Kanjwal, an associate professor of South Asian History at Lafayette College, told Middle East Eye that the government's ban "reveals the deep insecurity at the heart of its settler colonial project in Kashmir". New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "On one hand, it hosts events like the Chinar Book Festival, urging Kashmiri youth to read and celebrate literature. On the other, it aggressively censors the kinds of stories and histories Kashmiris are allowed to access," the award-winning academic said. "This contradiction is central to how settler colonialism operates: through erasure and replacement. Erasure of memory, history, and identity combined with a long-standing effort by the Indian state to overwrite Kashmir's past and replace it with a narrative that legitimises its control. The book ban must be seen in this broader context," she added. Attacks on human rights and freedom of expression have escalated since 2019, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government unilaterally stripped Kashmir of its decades-long autonomy and statehood. Book seizures in Indian-controlled Kashmir spark fears of religious censorship Read More » Earlier this year, Indian authorities seized more than 600 books by or about Syed Abul A'la Maududi, a noted twentieth-century Islamic scholar and founder of Jamaat-e-Islami, one of the largest religious organisations in the Indian subcontinent. "Banning books is a defining feature of fascist regimes that fear truth and people's capacities to question state-imposed histories," Mona Bhan, a professor of anthropology at Syracuse University told MEE. "The recent move to ban books marks yet another assault on Kashmiri identity and history, reflecting the broader impunity with which India has exercised control over Kashmir since 1947," she said. "These bans are intended to suppress critical thinking and credible scholarship on Kashmir, making way for state-sanctioned narratives to dominate the Indian public," she added. Kashmir has remained at the heart of a decades-long dispute between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan, both of which claim the territory in full but control separate parts. Since 1989, the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir has been in a state of insurgency, with tens of thousands of people arrested, brutalised or killed. Kashmiris widely view the armed revolt as a legitimate freedom struggle. The United Nations views the territory as disputed between India and Pakistan, with several resolutions maintaining the Kashmiri people's right to self-determination and calling for a resolution to the dispute through a UN-monitored plebiscite.
The Sun
07-08-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
India bans 25 books in Kashmir over secessionism claims
SRINAGAR: Indian authorities in Kashmir have banned 25 books, including a work by Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy, for allegedly promoting secessionism. The government order claims the books spread 'false narratives' and mislead Kashmiri youth while glorifying terrorism. This follows earlier actions in February when Islamic literature was seized from homes and bookshops. Kashmir remains a disputed region between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947. Rebel groups have fought Indian rule since 1989, seeking independence or merger with Pakistan. The ban was issued on Tuesday, coinciding with the sixth anniversary of New Delhi's direct rule over Kashmir. Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned the move, calling it a sign of insecurity. 'Banning books by scholars will not erase historical facts or Kashmiri memories,' Farooq said. Kashmir elected its first local government last November, but real power remains with New Delhi. The banned books include Roy's 2020 essay collection, 'Azadi: Freedom, Fascism, Fiction.' Roy is a prominent critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. Other banned works include those by constitutional expert A.G. Noorani and scholar Sumantra Bose. Historian Siddiq Wahid argued the ban violates constitutional freedoms of speech. 'The banned books rely on evidence and logic—does that not matter anymore?' Wahid asked. – AFP
