Latest news with #secessionism
Times
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Times
Kashmir police raid bookshops to seize ‘secessionist' texts
Police in Kashmir have raided bookshops in the capital, Srinagar, to remove 25 texts banned for allegedly instigating secessionism, including a work by the Booker prize winner Arundhati Roy. The government said the books provided a false narrative to young Kashmiris which encouraged their 'participation in violence and terrorism'. 'This literature would deeply impact the psyche of youth by promoting a culture of grievance, victimhood, and terrorist heroism,' it said. The books included the works of some of India's most respected historians and scholars. On the list was Azadi by Roy, a collection of essays on the Kashmiris who have allegedly been killed in recent decades by the Indian army, which has an overwhelming presence in the region. Police in Srinagar said the objective of the raids was to 'identify, seize, and forfeit any literature that propagates or systematically disseminates false narratives, promotes secessionist ideologies, or otherwise poses a threat to the sovereignty and unity of India'. A store owner in Srinagar who did not want to be named said that several bookshops in the main shopping centre of Lal Chowk had been raided by the police who confiscated various works. 'Luckily my shop is in an alley and they haven't come yet. In any case, I've removed the books as I don't want to be arrested. The ban is so stupid. A Kashmiri cannot buy the books in my store but can order them on Amazon,' he said. The fear among Kashmiris is that the next step will be for the police to enter their homes to find copies. A retired bureaucrat who also did not want to be named said the ban revealed 'growing insecurity' on the part of Narendra Modi's government. 'They keep shouting from the rooftops that the situation in Kashmir is wonderful, that there is peace, that the insurgency has faded but if that's the case then why take such measures?' Most of the banned books trace the origins of the more than 30-year-old insurgency which has convulsed Kashmir, where there is a Muslim majority. Militant groups have fought either for independence from India or union with Pakistan. • We'll attack again if you support terror, Modi warns Pakistan The other books deal with the human rights atrocities allegedly committed by the Indian army and paramilitary forces, an allegation which Delhi, under different governments over the years, has always denied. In 2019, the Modi government took the decision to strip Kashmir of its autonomy and statehood. Since then, it has been ruled from Delhi though day-to-day affairs are handled by the elected chief minister after elections to the state assembly last year. Delhi has repeatedly said it intends to restore Kashmir's statehood but has kept putting it off, and Kashmiris have grown increasingly restive and frustrated. They are now waiting for the Supreme Court to rule on petitions asking for the urgent restoration of statehood. The book ban coincides with a state-sponsored book festival that is being held by the army to promote the habit of reading. Visitors to the fair said the police were seen raiding book stalls there too.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
India bans books and police raid bookstores in crackdown on ‘false narrative' in Kashmir
Indian police raided bookstores in the restive Himalayan region of Kashmir after authorities banned 25 books for allegedly promoting 'false narrative and secessionism'. The books were banned earlier this week by the provincial administration of lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha, appointed by Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government. The order banning the books threatens people with jail time for selling or owning works by authors like Booker-winning novelist Arundhati Roy, constitutional scholar AG Noorani, and historians Christopher Snedden, Sumantra Bose and Victoria Schofield. The "identified 25 books have been found to excite secessionism and endangering sovereignty and integrity of India", the order, issued by Kashmir's home department, said, adding that such works of scholarship 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. The order declared the 25 books 'forfeit' under India's criminal code, effectively banning them from circulation and possession in Kashmir. The works include political commentaries, documentation of human rights violations and historic accounts of the disputed region. Kashmir, one of the most militarised places on earth, is claimed in full but held only in part by both India and Pakistan. In the part administered by India, an armed struggle for independence has seen nearly 100,000 people killed and thousands subjected to what campaigners have described as 'enforced disappearances'. In August 2019, the Indian government did away with a constitutional guarantee of autonomy for Kashmir, putting it under direct rule by New Delhi. In the aftermath, it outlawed several political groups and threw thousands of political workers, activists, lawyers, and students in prison, where many of them still remain. The raids on Thursday did not spare even roadside book vendors of printed publications in the main city of Srinagar and outlying towns. By the end, local media reported, several volumes of the outlawed books had been seized. The 'authoritarian ban' triggered outrage. Mehbooba Mufti, a former chief minister, said that banning books would not erase history but only "fuel division". 'In Kashmir, suppressing democratic voices and fundamental freedoms deepens alienation and mistrust,' she said. 'Censorship doesn't silence ideas, it amplifies their resonance.' Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a top cleric and major figure in the political movement for independence, said the ban "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". Ms Roy's A zadi, a collection of essays referencing the thousands of people allegedly killed and disappeared in Kashmir by Indian forces, is also on the banned books list. Ms Roy won the PEN Pinter Prize last year and was hailed as a 'luminous voice of freedom and justice'. The celebrated writer faces prosecution in Delhi over a 2010 speech disputing the notion of Kashmir being an 'integral' part of India. Mr Bose, the Indian historian whose Kashmir at Crossroads was among the banned books, rejected 'any and all defamatory slurs' against his work. 'I have worked on Kashmir – among many other subjects – since 1993. 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,' he told PTI. 'I'm a committed and principled advocate of peaceful approaches and resolutions to armed conflicts, be it in Kashmir or elsewhere in the world.' Angana Chatterjee, author of the newly banned Kashmir: A case for freedom, said authoritarian regimes banned books to assert and mobilise their power 'as they govern through suppression, fear, and violence'. David Devadas, author of In Search of a Future: The Story of Kashmir, argued that banning books was 'against the grain of our democratic ideals, and our civilisational ethos'. 'My book strongly advocates peace, dialogue and democracy in the spirit of prime minister Vajpayee's peace process which had reached fruition around the time my book was completed. I fully backed that peace process,' he said, referring to former Indian premier Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Amnesty India said in a post on X that the crackdown on books was not 'just about Kashmir'. 'It's about free expression,' the rights group said. 'If books can be silenced without any due process, so can people.' In February this year, police had similarly raided bookstores and seized hundreds of volumes linked to a major Islamic organisation in Kashmir. In 2011, police filed charges against Kashmir's education officials over a textbook for first graders that illustrated the word 'tyrant' with a sketch resembling a policeman. A year earlier, police had arrested a college lecturer alleging he had given his students an English exam filled with questions against a crackdown on demonstrations challenging Indian rule in the region.
Al Jazeera
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Police raid Kashmir bookshops after India bans titles for ‘secessionism'
Police in Indian-administered Kashmir have raided bookshops after authorities earlier this week banned 25 books, saying works like those by Booker Prize-winning writer Arundhati Roy propagate 'false narratives' and 'secessionism' in the contested Muslim-majority region. In compliance with the order, police officials on Thursday also 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. '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.' 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. Authorities on Thursday also seized Islamic literature from bookshops and homes after a similar directive in February. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in full. Rebel groups have fought since 1989 against the Indian rule of Kashmir, demanding independence or its merger with Pakistan. Since 2019, Indian authorities have increasingly criminalised dissent and shown no tolerance for any narrative that questions India's sovereignty over Kashmir. The order banning the books was issued by the region's Home Department 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. The ban threatens people with prison time for selling or owning works by constitutional expert AG Noorani and noted academicians and historians like Sumantra Bose, Christopher Snedden and Victoria Schofield, among others. 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. Bose, a political scientist and author whose book Kashmir at the Crossroads 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. Roy's 2020 book of essays, Azadi: Freedom, Fascism, Fiction, was also included in the ban. 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. 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 the AFP news agency. 'Does that count for anything anymore?' Indian-administered Kashmir elected a new government in September and October, 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. Chief cleric and separatist 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 the social media platform X. 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… — Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) August 7, 2025
Khaleej Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Police raid Kashmir bookshops after India bans 25 titles for 'secessionism'
Police in Indian-administered 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 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. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in full. Rebel groups have waged an insurgency since 1989 against Indian rule of Kashmir, demanding independence or its merger with Pakistan. 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 and separatist 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. 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. 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". "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.
Arab News
4 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.
