SRINAGAR: The counter-intelligence wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police has raided the premises of publishing houses after registering an FIR over two books allegedly glorifying separatist figures that were procured for government school libraries under the Samagra Shiksha programme. The case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), with police seizing physical documents and digital evidence during searches. No arrests have been made so far.
The FIR pertains to Personalities and Legends of Jammu and Kashmir, authored by Hilal Ahmad and Santosh Meena and published by Jammu-based Oberoi Book Service, and Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir, authored by Dr Sushant Giri and published by Delhi-based Anurag Prakashan.
According to officials, 123 copies of one of the books were supplied to schools in Jammu, Ramban and Udhampur districts, while 128 copies of the other were distributed in Jammu and Baramulla districts.
The police action comes a day after the Jammu and Kashmir administration banned both books, blacklisted their authors and publishers, suspended eight officials of the School Education Department, including a principal, and removed a contractual employee over their procurement. A high-level inquiry has also been ordered into the matter.
The School Education Department said the two books had been withdrawn from school libraries after they were found to contain “highly inappropriate content”. The books were procured under the centrally sponsored Samagra Shiksha programme.
In an order issued on Saturday, the department directed that the authors and publishers be “banned and blacklisted” in the Union Territory and ordered the withdrawal of any other printed material authored or published by them.
The department said it had procured 463 books from 364 publishers this year under the scheme and that only two titles were found to contain objectionable material. A total of 250 copies of the two books had been supplied to schools in Jammu, Ramban, Udhampur and Baramulla districts.
The government said the officials involved in approving the books had shown “serious negligence”, “dereliction of duty” and a “lack of proper due diligence”, as the publications contained content relating to separatism with the potential to create a law-and-order situation.
The controversy erupted after the BJP alleged that the books glorified separatist leaders and used objectionable references. The opposition termed the procurement a serious lapse and demanded accountability from those involved in the selection and approval process.
Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma alleged that one of the books praised Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, referred to Jammu and Kashmir as “India-occupied Kashmir”, and projected several separatist leaders in a favourable light.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said he has neither seen nor read the books.
The latest action follows a broader crackdown on publications in Jammu and Kashmir. Last year, the administration ordered the forfeiture of 25 books, citing concerns over radicalisation and the alleged glorification of terrorism. Among the titles banned were works by authors including Arundhati Roy, Sumantra Bose, A.G. Noorani, Anuradha Bhasin, David Devadas and Hafsa Kanjwal.
