Latest news with #SumantraBose
Canada News.Net
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
Media curbs deepen as 25 books banned in India's Kashmir
SRINAGAR, India: Indian authorities have prohibited 25 books in Kashmir, alleging that they promote "false narratives" and "secessionism" in a region where media restrictions have tightened sharply in recent years. The ban, which carries potential prison terms for selling or possessing the works, targets writings by Booker Prize-winning novelist and activist Arundhati Roy, constitutional expert A.G. Noorani, and prominent academics and historians including Sumantra Bose, Christopher Snedden, and Victoria Schofield. The order, issued this week by the region's Home Department—under the direct authority of Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, New Delhi's top administrator in Kashmir—declares the 25 titles "forfeit" under India's new 2023 criminal code. This removes them from circulation and makes their possession or access illegal within the Himalayan region. Under the code, offenses involving forfeited media can carry prison sentences of three years, seven years, or even life, though no one has yet been prosecuted under these provisions. According to the Home Department's notice, the identified books "excite secessionism" and threaten the "sovereignty and integrity of India." Officials said such works have "played a critical role in misguiding the youth, glorifying terrorism and inciting violence against the Indian State." The ban follows "investigations and credible intelligence" indicating the "systemic dissemination of false narratives and secessionist literature," which authorities claim is "often disguised as historical or political commentary." Following the order, police searched bookstores, roadside book vendors, and other outlets in Srinagar and across the region to confiscate the banned works. Authorities did not confirm whether any copies had been seized. The Press Trust of India reported that Sumantra Bose, a political scientist whose 'Kashmir at Cross Roads' is among the banned titles, rejected "any and all defamatory slurs" in his work. Since 2019, the government has intensified measures against dissent in Kashmir, showing zero tolerance for narratives that challenge India's sovereignty over the territory. In February, police raided bookstores and confiscated hundreds of titles linked to a prominent Islamic organization. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a prominent Kashmiri leader, condemned the latest ban. The move comes less than a year after an Indian court lifted the decades-long prohibition on Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses, noting there had never been an official order banning the book since its withdrawal in 1988 during Congress Party rule.
Arab News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir ban books by eminent writers, 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 media have escalated in recent years. The ban threatens people with prison time for selling or owning these 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 took office 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 been jailed yet 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. Such books played 'a critical role in misguiding the youth, glorifying terrorism and inciting violence against 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 officials on Thursday raided bookstores, searched roadside book vendors and other establishments dealing in printed publications in the main city of Srinagar and across multiple locations in the region to confiscate the banned literature, police said. However, officials didn't specify if they had seized any such 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. 'I am a committed and principled advocate of peaceful approaches and resolutions to armed conflicts, be it in Kashmir or elsewhere in the world,' he 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, police arrested a college lecturer on charges that 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 then going on to ban 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,' he said. 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. Meanwhile, curriculums related to Muslim Mughal rulers who ruled much of India between the 16th and 19th centuries have been altered or removed. Last year, an Indian court ended a decades-long ban on Salman Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses', owing to the absence of any official order that had banned the book in 1988.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
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. 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.' 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.
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
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.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Politics
- Associated 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.
