In a stunning move that has sent shockwaves through the literary world, authorities in Indian-held Kashmir have raided bookshops and , seized at least 25 books—including a work by Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy’s book .
Police say the crackdown is meant to stop “secessionist ideologies” and materials that “glorify terrorism,” claiming they are protecting the youth from being “misguided.” The raids, which included confiscating Islamic literature, began after a government order was issued to ban books that were deemed to be promoting anti-India sentiment.
The controversial list includes Arundhati Roy’s essay collection, Azadi: Freedom, Fascism, Fiction. Roy is a world-renowned author, but she has long been a sharp and outspoken critic of the Indian government. The ban also targets works by other prominent academics like constitutional expert A.G. Noorani and political scientist Sumantra Bose.
Critics are calling the move an attack on freedom of speech and academic freedom. Kashmiri religious leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned the ban as “authoritarian,” stating that the government cannot “erase historical facts or the lived memories of Kashmiris” by simply banning books.
This latest censorship has sparked fresh outrage and raises serious questions about the silencing of critical voices in the disputed region.
