The Indian Government Banned Books in Kashmir Due to "Separatism"

• 25 books have been banned, including works by Arundhati Roy.
• The ban is part of a campaign to restrict freedom of speech in Kashmir.
• Critics consider the ban an attempt to criminalize scientific research.

In Kashmir, which is under Indian control, the government has banned 25 books, including works by Booker Prize laureate Arundhati Roy. The banned titles have been accused of promoting "separatist narratives" and "separatism" in a conflict-ridden region.

The notice about the censorship was signed by Manoj Sinha, the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, appointed by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The document states that some literature "encourages the spread of hybrid narratives and separatism" in Jammu and Kashmir.

Among the banned books is "Azadi" by Arundhati Roy, which discusses the plight of thousands of people who, according to reports, were killed or disappeared in Kashmir. Also included in the list is "The Unseen Kashmir" by Australian political scientist Christopher Snedden, who studies the struggle of Kashmiris for independence.

The government asserts that the content of these books "negatively impacts the consciousness of youth, promoting a culture of imagery and terrorism." They accuse the authors of distorting history and promoting nationalism.

Critics of the ban, including the authors of the banned books, expressed concern that their work has been banned in the region they wrote about. For instance, Anjana Chatterjee, a researcher from the University of California, noted that this ban underlines the state's intention to criminalize scientific research.

The banned books are part of a broader campaign by the Indian government to restrict freedom of speech in Jammu and Kashmir, which intensified after India revoked the region's autonomy in 2019.

Along with the new penal code of India, selling or possessing banned books may lead to imprisonment for three to seven years or even longer incarceration.

Kashmir is one of the most militarized regions in the world. The conflict over this region has been ongoing since India's independence, with both India and Pakistan claiming it as their territory.

Tags: Politics