Arundhati Roy's 'Azadi', AG Noorani's 'The Kashmir Dispute' Among 25 Books Banned in Jammu & Kashmir

Arundhati Roy’s Azadi and A.G. Noorani’s The Kashmir Dispute are among 25 books banned in Jammu & Kashmir under a government order targeting content labelled “anti-national” and allegedly linked to inciting unrest. Full List below

Srinagar: Booker Prize Winner Arundhati Roy's Azadi and former Supreme Court Lawyer AG Noorani's The Kashmir Dispute: 1947–2012 are among 25 books recently banned in Jammu & Kashmir, for allegedly being against the country's integrity and promoting separatism. The action was taken under Section 96 of the Indian Civil Security Code 2023, stating that these books spread hateful content and mislead youth towards terrorism. It has also been alleged that these books promote separatism and terrorism under the guise of historical or political interpretations, influencing the minds of youth and defame the security forces.

The ban follows findings that these books violate sections 192, 196, and 197 of the Indian Penal Code 2023, and the Lieutenant Governor issued the ban order. Based on the Lieutenant Governor's order, the publication and distribution of these books have been completely banned, and many have been seized. Information regarding the ban notification has been passed on to various departments, district magistrates, and the Director of Information and Public Relations.

Full List of Books Banned in Jammu and Kashmir 

1. Human Rights Violations in Kashmir, Piotr Balcerowicz and Agnieszka Kuszewska, Routledge (Manohar Publishers & Distributors)
   
2. Kashmiri’s Fight for Freedom – Mohd Yosuf Saraf, Feroze Sons, Pakistan
   
3. Colonizing Kashmir: State-Building Under Indian Occupation – Hafsa Kanjwal, Stanford University Press
   
4. Kashmir Politics and Plebiscite – Dr. Abdul Gockhami Jabbar, Gulshan Books Kashmir
   
5. Do You Remember Kunan Poshpora? – Essar Batool & Others, Zubaan Books
   
6. Mujahid ki Azaan – Imam Hasan Al-Banna (edited by Maulana Mohammad Enayatullah Subhani), Markazi Maktaba Islami Publishers, Delhi
   
7. Al Jihadul fil Islam – Maulana Moududi, Darul Musannifeen / Markazi Maktaba Islami Publishers, Delhi
   
8. Independent Kashmir – Christopher Snedden, Manchester University Press & Sanctum Books Delhi
   
9. Resisting Occupation in Kashmir – Haley Duschinski, Mona Bhan, Ather Zia, Cynthia Mahmood, University of Pennsylvania Press
   
10. Between Democracy and Nation: Gender and Militarization in Kashmir – Seema Kazi, Oxford University Press / Women Unlimited, New Delhi
    
11. Contested Lands – Sumantra Bose, HarperCollins Publishers India, Gurugram
    
12. In Search of a Future: The Story of Kashmir – David Devadas, Viking Penguin
    
13. Kashmir in Conflict: India, Pakistan and the Unending War – Victoria Schofield, Bloomsbury India Academic
    
14. The Kashmir Dispute: 1947–2012 – A.G. Noorani, Tulika Books, Chennai
    
15. Kashmir at the Crossroads: Inside a 21st Century Conflict – Sumantra Bose, Pan Macmillan India, New Delhi
    
16. A Dismantled State: The Untold Story of Kashmir After Article 370 – Anuradha Bhasin, HarperCollins Publishers India, Gurugram
    
17. Resisting Disappearance: Military Occupation & Women’s Activism in Kashmir – Ather Zia, Zubaan Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
    
18. Confronting Terrorism – Stephen P. Cohen (edited by Maroof Raza), Penguin India, Darya Ganj, New Delhi
    
19. Freedom in Captivity: Negotiations of Belonging Along the Kashmiri Frontier – Radhika Gupta, Cambridge University Press, New Delhi
    
20. Kashmir: The Case for Freedom – Tariq Ali, Hilal Bhatt, Angana P. Chatterji, Pankaj Mishra, Arundhati Roy, Verso Books
    
21. Azadi – Arundhati Roy, Penguin India, Darya Ganj, New Delhi
    
22. USA and Kashmir – Dr. Shamshad Shan, Gulshan Books
    
23. Law, Conflict & Resolution in Kashmir – Piotr Balcerowicz and Agnieszka Kuszewska, Routledge (Manohar Publishers & Distributors)
    
24. Tarikh-i-Siyasat Kashmir – Dr. Afaq, Karwan-e-Tahqiq-o-Saqafat Kashmir
    
25. Kashmir & the Future of South Asia – Edited by Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal