Indian authorities have banned and ordered the seizure of 25 books — including works by prominent Kashmiri, Indian, and international authors — alleging they “glorify terrorism” and “incite secessionism” in the disputed region.
The Home Department of the New Delhi-controlled administration in Kashmir issued the order on Wednesday, claiming the books promote “false narratives” and pose a threat to India’s “sovereignty and integrity.”
Among the banned titles are Azadi by Arundhati Roy, The Kashmir Dispute 1947–2012 by A G Noorani, Kashmir in Conflict by Victoria Schofield, and Independent Kashmir by Christopher Snedden. Works by Sumantra Bose, Hafsa Kanjwal, Anuradha Bhasin, Radhika Gupta, Essar Batool, Ather Zia, Pankaj Mishra, Haley Duschinski, Mona Bhan, Piotr Balcerowicz, and Agnieszka Kuszewska also feature on the list.
The government alleges these books foster “a culture of grievance, victimhood, and terrorist heroism,” claiming they distort history, vilify the Indian military, and fuel radicalisation. All copies and related materials are to be seized under Section 98 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023.
Reacting to the ban, historian Hafsa Kanjwal, whose Colonizing Kashmir: State-building Under Indian Occupation is among the targeted works, told TRT World that such censorship was unsurprising. “India’s decades-long occupation has always sought to control information about Kashmir,” she said, noting parallels with repeated internet shutdowns, restrictions on international observers, and media control. “This list only reveals the fragility and insecurity of the Indian state in Kashmir.”
Journalist Anuradha Bhasin, author of A Dismantled State: The Untold Story of Kashmir After Article 370, rejected the accusations outright. “These are well-researched works, and not one glorifies terrorism,” she wrote on Facebook. “Scared of words challenging your lies! I challenge the book banners to prove a single word that glorifies terrorism. For those who value truth — read it and judge for yourself.”
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