Police Conduct Raids Across J&K After Government Bans 25 Books

Book stores across Kashmir were raided by police today following a ban on 25 books by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.  Most of these books are written by acclaimed writes and historians on Kashmir.  The government claims the books were "propagating false narrative and secessionism and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir". 

The authors of the banned books include Booker prize winner Arundhati Roy, AG Noorani, Maulana Maududi, Victoria Schofield, Sumantra Bose, Christopher Snedden, David Devdas,  Anuradha Bhasin, Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal. 

In Srinagar city, dozens of bookstores were raided. Policemen were seen searching bookshops and looking for the banned publications.

The police also conducted raids at Chinar book festival in Srinagar where around 200 book stalls have been set up. Interestingly, the nine-day book fair was inaugurated by the Lt Governor last week. 

In a statement, Srinagar Police said they conducted raids in compliance to the order issued by Home department yesterday. "Raids were conducted in various bookshops for search and forfeiture of banned books across District Srinagar under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)," the police said. 

The police said the "objective of the operation 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".

The statement said Srinagar Police remains committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that "no material or content which endangers the Security or Integrity of the Nation is allowed to circulate among the general public". 

Similar raids were conducted across all the districts in Jammu and Kashmir. 

In an order issued by the J&K Home department on Wednesday, the government said the books have been banned following an investigation and credible intelligence about a "systemic dissemination of false narratives and secessionist literature" disguised as historical or political commentary. 

AG Noorani was the country's foremost constitutional expert, who has extensively written on Kashmir and its constitutional arrangement with the Union of India after accession of the former state.  One of his books -- "The Kashmir dispute, 1947 -2012" is now banned in J&K. So is "Kashmir in Conflict - India, Pakistan and the unending War" written by British author and historian, Victoria Schofield. 

Two books -- "Contested Lands" and "Kashmir at the Crossroads" -- written by Sumantra Bose are also among the banned publications. Mr Bose is a professor of international and comparative politics at the London School of Economics. 

Booker prize winner Arundhati Roy's "Azadi" published by Penguin India is among forfeited books. Another co-authored by Ms Roy is also stands banned. 

Journalist and Kashmir Times Editor, Anuradha Bhasin's book "The Dismantled State, The Untold Story of Kashmir after 370"is also banned.  Ms Bhasin has written about abrogation of Article 370 and its aftermath in Kashmir. In her statement, she has challenged the government to prove that a single word in the book glorifies terrorism. 

Among other books banned by the government is a biography of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah - "Tarikh -I- Siyasat Kashmir" written by Dr Afaq Aziz. Also, the book "Confronting Terrorism" edited by Maroof Raza, a retired Indian army officer, is banned and forfeited in J&K.

The order of the Lt Governor says "the identified 25 books have been 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".