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Perth Now
5 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Indian officials in Kashmir ban eminent writers' books
Indian authorities have banned 25 books in Kashmir that they say propagate "false narratives" and "secessionism" in the disputed region, where strict controls on the media have escalated in recent years. The ban threatens people with prison time for selling or owning works by authors such as Booker Prize-winning novelist Arundhati Roy, constitutional expert A.G. Noorani, and noted academicians and historians like Sumantra Bose, Christopher Snedden and Victoria Schofield. The order was issued on Tuesday by the region's Home Department. The order declared the 25 books "forfeit" under India's new criminal code of 2023, effectively banning the works from circulation, possession and access within the Himalayan region. Various elements of the code threaten prison terms of three years, seven years or even life. "The identified 25 books have been found to excite secessionism and endanger the sovereignty and integrity of India," the Home Department said in its notice. Such books played "a critical role in misguiding the youth, glorifying terrorism and inciting violence against the Indian State," it said. The action was taken following "investigations and credible intelligence" about "systemic dissemination of false narratives and secessionist literature" that was "often disguised as historical or political commentary," it said. In compliance with the order, police on Thursday raided bookstores, searched roadside book vendors to confiscate the banned literature. However, officials didn't specify if they had seized any material. Bose, a political scientist and author whose book "Kashmir at Cross Roads" was among the banned works, rejected "any and all defamatory slurs" on his work, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. "I have worked on Kashmir — among many other subjects — since 1993," Bose said. "Throughout, my chief objective has been to identify pathways to peace so that all violence ends and a stable future free of fear and war can be enjoyed by the people of the conflict region, of India as a whole, and the subcontinent." Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi's rule since 1989. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels' goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. India insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the charge, and many Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict. Since 2019, authorities have increasingly criminalised dissent and shown no tolerance for any narrative that questions India's sovereignty over Kashmir. In February, police raided bookstores and seized hundreds of books linked to a major Islamic organisation in the region. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a key resistance leader in Kashmir, condemned the book ban. "Banning books by scholars and reputed historians will not erase historical facts and the repertoire of lived memories of people of Kashmir," Mirwaiz said in a statement. Banning books isn't common in India, but authorities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi have increasingly raided independent media houses, jailed journalists and sought to rewrite history in school and university textbooks to promote the Hindu nationalist vision of his governing Bharatiya Janata Party.
5 days ago
- Politics
Indian authorities in Kashmir ban books by eminent writers and scholars
SRINAGAR, India -- Indian authorities have banned 25 books in Kashmir that they say propagate 'false narratives' and 'secessionism' in the disputed region, where strict controls on the press have escalated in recent years. The ban threatens people with prison time for selling or owning works by authors such as Booker Prize-winning novelist and activist Arundhati Roy, constitutional expert A.G. Noorani, and noted academicians and historians like Sumantra Bose, Christopher Snedden and Victoria Schofield. The order was issued on Tuesday by the region's Home Department, which is under the direct control of Lt. Gov. Manoj Sinha, New Delhi's top administrator in Kashmir. Sinha wields substantial power in the region as the national government's representative, while elected officials run a largely powerless government that came to power last year after the first local election since India stripped the disputed region of its special status in 2019. The order declared the 25 books 'forfeit' under India's new criminal code of 2023, effectively banning the works from circulation, possession and access within the Himalayan region. Various elements of the code threaten prison terms of three years, seven years or even life for offenses related to forfeit media, although no one has yet been jailed under them. 'The identified 25 books have been found to excite secessionism and endangering sovereignty and integrity of India,' the Home Department said in its notice. It said such books played 'a critical role in misguiding the youth, glorifying terrorism and inciting violence against Indian State.' The action was taken following 'investigations and credible intelligence' about 'systemic dissemination of false narratives and secessionist literature' that was 'often disguised as historical or political commentary,' it said. Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi's rule since 1989. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels' goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. India insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the charge, and many Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict. Since 2019, authorities have increasingly criminalized dissent and shown no tolerance for any narrative that questions India's sovereignty over Kashmir. In February, police raided bookstores and seized hundreds of books linked to a major Islamic organization in the region. In 2011, police filed charges against Kashmir education officials over a textbook for first graders that illustrated the word 'tyrant' with a sketch resembling a police official. A year earlier to that, police arrested a college lecturer on charges he gave his students an English exam filled with questions attacking a crackdown on demonstrations challenging Indian rule in the region. In some cases, the accused were freed after police questioning but most of these cases have lingered on in India's notoriously slow judicial system. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a key resistance leader in Kashmir, condemned the book ban. 'Banning books by scholars and reputed historians will not erase historical facts and the repertoire of lived memories of people of Kashmir,' Mirwaiz said in a statement. He questioned authorities for organizing an ongoing book festival to showcase its literary commitment but on ground banning some books. 'It only exposes the insecurities and limited understanding of those behind such authoritarian actions, and the contradiction in proudly hosting the ongoing Book Festival.' Banning books is not common in India, but authorities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi have increasingly raided independent media houses, jailed journalists and sought to re-write history in school and university textbooks to promote the Hindu nationalist vision of his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Meanwhile, curriculums related to Muslim Mughal rulers who ruled much of India between sixteenth and nineteenth centuries have been altered or removed. Last year, An Indian court ended decades-old ban on Salman Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses' owing to absence of any official order that had banned the book in 1988.
The Star
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Indian authorities in Kashmir ban books by eminent writers and scholars
Indian authorities have banned 25 books in Kashmir that they say propagate "false narratives' and "secessionism' in the disputed region, where strict controls on the press have escalated in recent years. The ban threatens people with prison time for selling or owning works by authors such as Booker Prize-winning novelist and activist Arundhati Roy, constitutional expert A.G. Noorani, and noted academicians and historians like Sumantra Bose, Christopher Snedden and Victoria Schofield. The order was issued on Tuesday by the region's Home Department, which is under the direct control of Lt Gov Manoj Sinha, New Delhi's top administrator in Kashmir. Sinha wields substantial power in the region as the national government's representative, while elected officials run a largely powerless government that came to power last year after the first local election since India stripped the disputed region of its special status in 2019. The order declared the 25 books "forfeit' under India's new criminal code of 2023, effectively banning the works from circulation, possession and access within the Himalayan region. Various elements of the code threaten prison terms of three years, seven years or even life for offenses related to forfeit media, although no one has yet been jailed under them. "The identified 25 books have been found to excite secessionism and endangering sovereignty and integrity of India,' the Home Department said in its notice. It said such books played "a critical role in misguiding the youth, glorifying terrorism and inciting violence against Indian State.' The action was taken following "investigations and credible intelligence' about "systemic dissemination of false narratives and secessionist literature' that was "often disguised as historical or political commentary,' it said. Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. A pedestrian walks past a book cart along a roadside in Srinagar on Aug 7. Photo: AFP Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi's rule since 1989. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels' goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. India insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the charge, and many Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict. Since 2019, authorities have increasingly criminalized dissent and shown no tolerance for any narrative that questions India's sovereignty over Kashmir. In February, police raided bookstores and seized hundreds of books linked to a major Islamic organization in the region. In 2011, police filed charges against Kashmir education officials over a textbook for first graders that illustrated the word "tyrant' with a sketch resembling a police official. A year earlier to that, police arrested a college lecturer on charges he gave his students an English exam filled with questions attacking a crackdown on demonstrations challenging Indian rule in the region. In some cases, the accused were freed after police questioning but most of these cases have lingered on in India's notoriously slow judicial system. The order declared the 25 books 'forfeit' under India's new criminal code of 2023, effectively banning the works from circulation, possession and access within the Himalayan region. Photo: AP Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a key resistance leader in Kashmir, condemned the book ban. "Banning books by scholars and reputed historians will not erase historical facts and the repertoire of lived memories of people of Kashmir,' Mirwaiz said in a statement. He questioned authorities for organizing an ongoing book festival to showcase its literary commitment but on ground banning some books. "It only exposes the insecurities and limited understanding of those behind such authoritarian actions, and the contradiction in proudly hosting the ongoing Book Festival.' Banning books is not common in India, but authorities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi have increasingly raided independent media houses, jailed journalists and sought to re-write history in school and university textbooks to promote the Hindu nationalist vision of his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Meanwhile, curriculums related to Muslim Mughal rulers who ruled much of India between sixteenth and nineteenth centuries have been altered or removed. Last year, An Indian court ended decades-old ban on Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses owing to absence of any official order that had banned the book in 1988. - AP
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Indian authorities in Kashmir ban books by eminent writers and scholars
SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Indian authorities have banned 25 books in Kashmir that they say propagate 'false narratives' and 'secessionism' in the disputed region, where strict controls on the press have escalated in recent years. The ban threatens people with prison time for selling or owning works by authors such as Booker Prize-winning novelist and activist Arundhati Roy, constitutional expert A.G. Noorani, and noted academicians and historians like Sumantra Bose, Christopher Snedden and Victoria Schofield. Booksellers and owners could face prison The order was issued on Tuesday by the region's Home Department, which is under the direct control of Lt. Gov. Manoj Sinha, New Delhi's top administrator in Kashmir. Sinha wields substantial power in the region as the national government's representative, while elected officials run a largely powerless government that came to power last year after the first local election since India stripped the disputed region of its special status in 2019. The order declared the 25 books 'forfeit' under India's new criminal code of 2023, effectively banning the works from circulation, possession and access within the Himalayan region. Various elements of the code threaten prison terms of three years, seven years or even life for offenses related to forfeit media, although no one has yet been jailed under them. 'The identified 25 books have been found to excite secessionism and endangering sovereignty and integrity of India,' the Home Department said in its notice. It said such books played 'a critical role in misguiding the youth, glorifying terrorism and inciting violence against Indian State.' The action was taken following 'investigations and credible intelligence' about 'systemic dissemination of false narratives and secessionist literature' that was 'often disguised as historical or political commentary,' it said. India is cracking down on dissent in Kashmir Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi's rule since 1989. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels' goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. India insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the charge, and many Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict. Since 2019, authorities have increasingly criminalized dissent and shown no tolerance for any narrative that questions India's sovereignty over Kashmir. In February, police raided bookstores and seized hundreds of books linked to a major Islamic organization in the region. In 2011, police filed charges against Kashmir education officials over a textbook for first graders that illustrated the word 'tyrant' with a sketch resembling a police official. A year earlier to that, police arrested a college lecturer on charges he gave his students an English exam filled with questions attacking a crackdown on demonstrations challenging Indian rule in the region. In some cases, the accused were freed after police questioning but most of these cases have lingered on in India's notoriously slow judicial system. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a key resistance leader in Kashmir, condemned the book ban. 'Banning books by scholars and reputed historians will not erase historical facts and the repertoire of lived memories of people of Kashmir,' Mirwaiz said in a statement. He questioned authorities for organizing an ongoing book festival to showcase its literary commitment but on ground banning some books. 'It only exposes the insecurities and limited understanding of those behind such authoritarian actions, and the contradiction in proudly hosting the ongoing Book Festival.' India rarely bans books, but has tightened grip on media Banning books is not common in India, but authorities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi have increasingly raided independent media houses, jailed journalists and sought to re-write history in school and university textbooks to promote the Hindu nationalist vision of his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Meanwhile, curriculums related to Muslim Mughal rulers who ruled much of India between sixteenth and nineteenth centuries have been altered or removed. Last year, An Indian court ended decades-old ban on Salman Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses' owing to absence of any official order that had banned the book in 1988.
News18
03-08-2025
- Politics
- News18
Opinion: The Forgotten Loyalists Of Kashmir
Last Updated: Silenced for decades, now heard by the nation, India's boldest narrative shift in Kashmir's post-independence For over three decades, Kashmir was not a voice—it was a narrative, hijacked and manipulated by Pakistan's propaganda machinery. The pain of this land was never Pakistan's concern; it was a tool, a weapon, a theatre script for international forums. While Islamabad paraded selective tragedies before the world, the actual victims—those who stood by India, whose families were shattered by Pakistan-sponsored terrorism—were pushed into oblivion. No one asked: Who mourned these loyal sons and daughters of Bharat? Who stood by the mothers who lost not one but four children because they refused to feed terrorists? These families were not statistics—they were testaments of courage. And yet, they were forgotten. Until now. This past month in Jammu & Kashmir, something extraordinary happened. Something that doesn't often make headlines in the noise of national politics but should dominate the conscience of a nation. For the first time in independent India's history, families of terror victims—those killed for their loyalty to the Indian State—were brought to the front stage of justice, remembrance, and restitution. In Anantnag and later in Baramulla, scores of families who had been living in the shadows of memory—women who lost husbands, children who never met their fathers, parents who buried sons—were called forth not to be consoled, but to be recognised. Forty of these families, many of whom had never stepped into a government building with hope, were given job orders, legal protection, and public honour. But what they received most profoundly was a return of moral dignity—a currency long denied to them by both state apathy and societal betrayal. The picture of change has existed for some time now, but there has been a spotlight on it emanating from the Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha. He has provided a different narrative to governance in Kashmir. In an atmosphere characterized by soft separatism and bureaucratic inaction, Sinha's administration has done something ethically sound. It has provided state recognition for those who embraced India, and not only embraced, but stood with India in Kashmir state action, which is deserving of state acclamation. Sinha's actions change the Kashmiri narrative and the narrative of integration to India. What truly struck me is the scene of people from Baramulla. It is the picture of change, and His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor was the subject. His leadership is what incites tears and affection from a large population. The leadership from Delhi coming to listen is what drives emotion. Kissed his forehead. Hugged him. These actions portray love unprecedented to the LG. He did not come to issue state security directives which has been the hub of concern in the past, but to engage with the people and deliver answers that are long overdue. This stands as an example of individual kindness, 'strategic humanitarian intervention" or 'civilian-national reconstruction". Pakistan has pursued an expansive information warfare policy against India, using Kashmir as the primary theatre. Not only has it crossed the threshold of violence by sending gunmen, it has sought to justify such actions through narratives of unending oppression. It has deployed narratives of oppression where the 'terrorist' is a 'freedom fighter' and a 'patriot' is a 'traitor'. It has never only displaced fighters, but exported a vocabulary of ruthless dismantling of truth. The literally unthinking victims of terrorism were absented. This new initiative reconstructs the narratives of Kashmir by placing these treated, forgotten families at the center of the conversation. The initiative has literally and practically changed the paradigm. It allows the victims of human rights to truly speak of their reality witnessed in Kashmir, not the militants but the genuine martyrs, who didn't take up arms even at the cost of their lives. Let us remember: many of these victims were killed not in crossfire, but in cold blood, for refusing to feed a terrorist, for waving a flag, for refusing to shelter a terrorist. Some entire families were wiped out. And for years, successive governments turned their eyes away, fearing political backlash, fearing it might 'disturb the peace". But how can a peace built on silence ever last? What makes this initiative powerful is not just its emotional resonance but its implications for justice, narrative, and state legitimacy. For the first time, India is not defending itself on Kashmir—it is setting the agenda. It is saying that if the world must speak of Kashmir, it must first listen to the mothers whose sons were murdered for loving India by the Pak-Sponsored terrorism. The symbolism certainly has depth, but the ramifications of policy also matter. When these families received employment, it was more than a job: it was recognition of their participation in the 'national project.' Likewise, when LG Manoj Sinha interacted with them, he was not merely meeting constituents, instead, he was in some way, healing a long-standing wound in the conscience of the country. These families were mocked and ignored by the political elite, and the shift in ideological thinking is staggering. Kashmir is a region once ruled by a political elite. Many of them infrequently visited these families, and some even scorned them. Some leaders even referred to the victims of terror as 'collateral" and equated slain terrorists to fallen soldiers. While some might call that mockery, it goes far beyond that; not only is it offensive, but it is also profoundly dehumanizing. This administration has corrected that language with action. This also has effects on international relations. India no longer needs to struggle on international platforms. India need not shout on world stages anymore. Let these mothers and widows speak. Let the woman from North Kashmir who lost four family members for refusing food to a terrorist cell, tell her story. Let the children orphaned in 1996, now grown into quiet young men, narrate how society shunned them as 'informers". These tales counter any document India submitted to the United Nations and so as the women and children provided them, their truths would be bombastic than any document India submitted to the United Nations. 'It cannot be denied that when the truth finally comes out, the noise will be powerful indeed, way more than so-called propaganda." There is also a spiritual dimension to all of this. This wasn't just governance. It was atonement. A political system that had failed a generation, today bows its head and says: We hear you. We believe you. You matter. That is not just reform. It is resurrection. This initiative is not the end—it is the beginning of a new Indian imagination in Kashmir. One where every tear matters, every loyalty is honoured, and every silence is broken with justice. As this movement spreads from Anantnag to Baramulla and beyond, one thing becomes clear: this isn't just about healing the wounds of yesterday. It is about building a new architecture of trust for tomorrow. The bullet ends a life. But justice restores a future. And for once, that future belongs to the side that bled quietly—and waited for India to remember. Mudasir Dar is a social and peace activist based in South Kashmir. He is a Rashtrapati Award recipient in world scouting and has contributed to many local and national publications on a diverse range of topics, including national security, politics, governance, peace, and conflict. He tweets from @DarMudasir10. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. view comments Location : Jammu and Kashmir, India, India First Published: August 03, 2025, 13:18 IST News opinion Opinion: The Forgotten Loyalists Of Kashmir Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
