J&K government bans 25 books citing threat to security; AG Noorani, Arundhati Roy among authors
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday issued an order banning 25 books authored by prominent Indian and international scholars, writers, and activists, citing concerns over national security, secessionism, and youth radicalization in the region.
A notification (S.O.203) issued by the Home Department invoked Section 98 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and Sections 152, 196, and 197 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, to declare the books as forfeited to the government, ordering their seizure from public and private circulation across the Union Territory.
The notification claims that intelligence inputs and investigations revealed that the books in question contributed to the "systematic dissemination of false narratives," glorified terrorism, vilified security forces, and incited youth toward secessionist violence.
Among the banned authors are Islamic scholar Syed Abul A’la Maududi, legal and constitutional expert A.G. Noorani, celebrated author and activist Arundhati Roy, historians Ayesha Jalal and Sugata Bose, political scientist Sumantra Bose, and Kashmiri academics Hafsa Kanjwal, Ather Zia, and Essar Batool.
“This literature would deeply impact the psyche of youth by promoting a culture of grievance, victimhood, and terrorist heroism,” the notification stated, further alleging that such publications distorted historical facts, promoted alienation, and acted as a "pathway to violence and terrorism."
The government contended that the banned material not only glorifies terrorism and militancy but also undermines India’s sovereignty and unity, making their circulation a cognizable offense under newly enforced criminal laws.
The complete list of banned books includes:
Human Rights Violations in Kashmir – Piotr Balcerowicz & Agnieszka Kuszewska
Kashmir’s Fight for Freedom – Mohd Yosuf Saraf
Colonizing Kashmir – Hafsa Kanjwal
Kashmir Politics and Plebiscite – Dr. Abdul Jabbar Gockhami
Do You Remember Kunan Poshpora? – Essar Batool et al.
Mujahid ki Azaan – Imam Hasan Al-Bana Shaheed (ed. Maulana Enayatullah Subhani)
Al Jihadul fil Islam – Syed Abul A’la Maududi
Independent Kashmir – Christopher Snedden
Resisting Occupation in Kashmir – Haley Duschinski, Mona Bhan, Ather Zia, Cynthia Mahmood
Between Democracy and Nation – Seema Kazi
Contested Lands – Sumantra Bose
In Search of a Future – David Devadas
Kashmir in Conflict – Victoria Schofield
The Kashmir Dispute 1947–2012 – A.G. Noorani
Kashmir at the Crossroads – Sumantra Bose
A Dismantled State – Anuradha Bhasin
Resisting Disappearance – Ather Zia
Confronting Terrorism (ed.) – Maroof Raza (incl. Stephen P. Cohen)
Freedom in Captivity – Radhika Gupta
Kashmir: The Case for Freedom – Tariq Ali, Hilal Bhatt, Angana P. Chatterji, Pankaj Mishra, Arundhati Roy
Azadi – Arundhati Roy
USA and Kashmir – Dr. Shamshad Shan
Law and Conflict Resolution in Kashmir – Balcerowicz & Kuszewska
Tarikh-i-Siyasat Kashmir – Dr. Afaq
Kashmir and the Future of South Asia – Sugata Bose & Ayesha Jalal
This move has already drawn criticism from civil liberties advocates, who fear a chilling effect on academic freedom and dissent. The government, however, maintains that the ban is a necessary measure to safeguard the peace and sovereignty of the Union Territory.
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Gujarat voted for development & good governance, says Pradhan as BJP sweeps local body polls
New Delhi (PTI): Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday said the people of Gujarat have reaffirmed their faith in the politics of development, stability and good governance as the BJP swept the local body elections by winning all 15 municipal corporations and 33 out of 34 district panchayats in the state.
Thanking the voters, Pradhan said the result is a testament to the people's unwavering trust in the BJP, the relentless hard work of the party workers and the strength of the organisation under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
“The people of Gujarat have once again made it clear that their trust remains firmly aligned with the politics of development, stability and good governance. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the people of Gujarat for the support received by the BJP in the local body elections,” Pradhan posted on X.
“Under the guidance of the Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Gujarat's Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, this result is a remarkable testament to the people's unwavering trust, the relentless hard work of the Gujarat BJP workers, and the strength of the organisation,” he added.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people of Gujarat for what he termed a "sweeping mandate" in the local body polls, saying the bond between the state and the BJP has grown even stronger.
Modi said people have voted for the politics of good governance, and assured that the party would work harder to take Gujarat to new heights of progress.
Though final results for 250 taluka panchayats and 84 municipalities were awaited, data from the State Election Commission (SEC) showed that the ruling BJP won most of these local bodies while some were bagged by the Congress, AAP and Independents.
Polling was held on Sunday for 15 municipal corporations, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats and 260 taluka panchayats.
The BJP emerged a clear winner in the municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar and Rajkot, besides the newly created municipal corporations of Navsari, Gandhidham, Morbi, Vapi, Anand, Nadiad, Mehsana, Porbandar and Surendranagar.
