Police raid bookshops in Anantnag after admin bans 25 books

August 7, 2025 by News Desk

Following the Jammu and Kashmir administration’s ban on 25 books for allegedly promoting secessionist ideologies and threatening national integrity, police in Anantnag on Thursday, launched a series of raids on local bookshops to enforce the order.

Teams conducted inspections across multiple bookstores, searching for copies of the proscribed titles. Officials said strict action would be taken against anyone found in possession of the banned books.

“We have clear instructions to seize any of the banned publications. Bookstore owners have been informed, and violators will face legal consequences,” a senior police officer said.

The Jammu Kashmir Home Department has declared the 25 books as “forfeited,” citing their alleged role in spreading secessionist sentiments and presenting what it called a “false narrative” about the region’s political history. The notification, issued under Section 98 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, claims that the titles glorify terrorism, incite violence, and distort historical facts, thus posing a threat to India’s sovereignty and integrity.

According to the official order, a copy of which is available with The Kashmiriyat, the banned books include academic studies, personal narratives, and political commentaries. Authorities allege that these works have contributed to the radicalisation of Kashmiri youth by glorifying armed resistance and reinforcing what the order describes as “false grievance and victimhood.” Some books are also accused of vilifying security forces and promoting public alienation through their internal circulation.

The list includes prominent academic titles such as Colonizing Kashmir by Hafsa Kanjwal, Resisting Occupation in Kashmir by Haley Duschinski and others, and Between Democracy and Nation by Seema Kazi. Also named are Do You Remember Kunan Poshpora? by Essar Batool and others, A Dismantled State by Anuradha Bhasin, and Azadi by Arundhati Roy, alongside works by Sumantra Bose, A.G. Noorani, Victoria Schofield, and Sugata Bose. Many of these have long been referenced in university curricula and research on Kashmir.

Among the more surprising inclusions is Tareekh-i-Siyasat Kashmir by Dr. Afaq Aziz — a recent political biography of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, published by Karwan-e-Tahqiq-o-Saqafat Kashmir. The book, which has drawn attention for its nuanced treatment of Abdullah’s life and politics, relies on historical records, speeches, and contemporary commentary. Despite its relatively balanced tone, it has now been blacklisted by the government order.