A Step to Protect Youth from Radicalisation: Observers
KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Aug 6: In a significant decision aimed at safeguarding national integrity and countering radical narratives, the Jammu and Kashmir Home Department has ordered the forfeiture of 25 books found to be promoting secessionism, glorifying terrorism, and distorting historical facts related to the region. The notification (S.O. 203), issued under Section 98 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, follows extensive investigations and credible intelligence inputs indicating that the circulation of such literature has contributed significantly to the radicalisation of youth in the Union Territory.
The government has categorically stated that these books misguide young minds, glorify terrorist acts, and portray the Indian state and its institutions in a vilified manner. Officials argue that the literature, often disguised as academic research or political commentary, subtly promotes a culture of grievance and victimhood, thereby pushing youth toward extremist ideologies and violence.
Among the books banned is Azadi by Arundhati Roy, which the authorities claim frames the idea of freedom through a lens that encourages disaffection with the Indian state. Kashmir’s Fight for Freedom by Mohd Yousuf Saraf, published by Feroze Sons Pakistan, has also been listed for allegedly presenting a distorted and provocative historical account.
Similarly, Colonizing Kashmir: State-Building under Indian Occupation by Hafsa Kanjwal, published by Stanford University Press, is said to misrepresent the democratic setup of India in a manner that fuels alienation and hostility. Other titles such as Do You Remember Kunan Poshpora? by Essar Batool and others, Resisting Occupation in Kashmir by Haley Duschinski, Mona Bhat, Ather Zia, and Cynthia Mahmood, and Between Democracy and Nation by Seema Kazi have been flagged for glorifying narratives that project militancy and resistance as legitimate paths.
Publications like The Kashmir Dispute 1947–2012 by A.G. Noorani and In Search of a Future: The Story of Kashmir by David Devadas, among others, were also found to contribute to narratives considered prejudicial to India’s sovereignty. International publishing houses including Routledge, Stanford University Press, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and Bloomsbury Academic are among those whose publications have been named.
Security experts and social observers have widely welcomed the ban, hailing it as a timely intervention. “This kind of literature does not simply offer critical perspectives—it actively feigns legitimacy for secessionist ideologies. These books subtly encourage youth to see violence as a legitimate means to achieve such glorified ends,” said a counter-radicalisation expert in Kashmir.
Another Srinagar-based academic involved in youth rehabilitation programmes commented, “Much of this literature romanticises terrorism, alienates young readers from democratic institutions, and fuels a sense of cultural siege. This step was necessary to prevent the poisoning of minds under the guise of intellectualism.”
The notification states that the circulation of these books not only excites secessionism but also endangers the sovereignty and integrity of India, thereby violating Sections 152, 196, and 197 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023. It mandates the forfeiture of all published copies, along with related documents, to the Government.
Principal Secretary to the Government, Chandraker Bharti (IAS), issued the order under the authority of the Lieutenant Governor, emphasising that Jammu and Kashmir would not allow any narrative—literary or otherwise—that threatens the Union’s unity.
This action sends a strong and clear message: the government is resolute in its commitment to curb the spread of ideologies that misguide the youth and threaten national peace.
