SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik had nearly completed a tell-all book on his tenure in the erstwhile state, but its future now hangs in uncertainty following his death on Tuesday. According to a report by veteran journalist Ritu Sarin in The Indian Express, Malik had taken extraordinary measures to hide the manuscript, fearing raids and possible attempts to suppress its contents.
Malik, who served as the Governor during the tumultuous period when Article 370 was abrogated and Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories in August 2019, had described the book as “explosive”. In multiple conversations with The Indian Express, he said the book would detail key political decisions, including the dissolution of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in 2018, as well as alleged lapses in the lead-up to the Pulwama attack that killed 40 security personnel in February 2019.
“As far as Pulwama is concerned, it involves the lives of 40 of our soldiers. Air transport was denied to the troops, and there has been no inquiry, no one has been held responsible… all these details will be there in my book,” Malik had told the newspaper. “Wait for the book, I cannot tell you everything now. But the book will be about governing J&K and about the Government’s lethargy.”
The manuscript, tentatively titled The Truth About Kashmir, had reportedly reached about 200 pages and was, according to one of Malik’s aides, “almost done but not yet finished”. The aide declined to disclose its location but confirmed that “much or most of the book has been written”.
Malik, 79, had retired as Governor of Meghalaya in 2022 and had revealed that he had moved the manuscript to a secret place for safekeeping after speaking publicly about it at a rally. “If I say there is a book ready, they will raid me. But I am more than halfway through and many publishers are ready to publish it,” he had said, adding that subsequent CBI raids on him in 2024 had validated his decision to hide it.
With Malik’s passing, attention now turns to whether the manuscript will surface and be published. As his aide told The Indian Express, “We cannot tell you where the manuscript is… All I can tell you is that much or most of the book has been written.”
Satya Pal Malik (1946–2025) was a seasoned politician and administrator who served as Governor of Jammu and Kashmir during one of its most significant political transitions. Appointed in 2018, he oversaw the dissolution of the state assembly and was at the helm when Article 370 was revoked in August 2019, leading to the bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories. A former Rajya Sabha member and long-time political figure associated with various parties, Malik also served as Governor of Bihar, Goa, and Meghalaya. Known for his outspoken nature and frequent run-ins with the central leadership, he remained a controversial figure, particularly after openly criticising the government over security lapses in the Pulwama attack and alleged corruption. His tenure in Jammu and Kashmir remains the most debated chapter of his career
