Srinagar, 8 August (H.S.): A day after the Jammu and Kashmir government banned the publication of 25 books for “promoting false narratives and glorifying terrorism”, police on Thursday conducted raids at bookshops across the Valley to seize the literature and prevent its circulation.

According to an order issued by the Home Department, the books, including those written by famous authors like Moulana Moudadi, Arundhati Roy, A G Noorani, Victoria Schofield and David Devadas, propagate “secessionism” in J-K and need to be declared as “forfeited” in terms of Section 98 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023.

The move to ban the books drew flak from their authors and a section of political leaders who claimed that it was an attempt “to warn Kashmiris against free speech” and asserted that democracy thrives on the free exchange of ideas.

On Thursday, raids at bookshops were conducted in the districts of Srinagar, Ganderbal, Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama, Shopian, and Baramulla, police officials said.

They said police teams inspected and searched various bookshops in these districts for banned books following the government directive.

“The enforcement drives to seize radical literature were conducted in line with the government directives. The operation targeted materials promoting secessionist ideologies or glorifying terrorism,” the officials said.

“During the searches, bookshop owners were warned against stocking or distributing prohibited content. They were also sensitised about the legal consequences of violating these directives and instructed to strictly follow the guidelines,” the police officials added.

The police sought public cooperation to uphold peace and integrity.

Citizens are urged to stay away from such proscribed material and report any suspicious activity, including the circulation of banned literature, to the nearest police station, they said.

The order said available evidence based on investigations and credible intelligence “unflinchingly indicate” that a significant driver behind youth participation in violence and terrorism has been the “systematic dissemination of false narratives and secessionist literature by its persistent internal circulation, often disguised as historical or political commentary”.

It plays a critical role in “misguiding the youth, glorifying terrorism and inciting violence” against India, the order said.

PDP leader and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said that “censorship doesn’t silence ideas, it amplifies their resonance”.

“Democracy thrives on the free exchange of ideas. Banning books cannot erase history, it only fuels division,” she said in a post on X.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar