Authorities in India-administered Kashmir have initiated a widespread review of books, journals, dissertations, and digital resources in schools, colleges, and public libraries to identify and remove content considered “objectionable.” The government order issued on July 9, 2026, mandates educational institutions to prevent circulation of materials that promote or justify terrorism, violent extremism, secessionism, radicalization, communal disharmony, or any activity prejudicial to India’s sovereignty and security.

This campaign began after Sunil Sharma, a politician from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), called for banning the book Personalities and Legends of J&K, authored by Hilal Ahmad and Santosh Meena. The 240-page book profiles prominent regional figures including writers Salman Rushdie and Hari Kunzru, and Farah Pandith, the first special representative to Muslim communities in the United States. It also mentions Masrat Alam Bhat, a separatist leader jailed since the 2019 clampdown.

Journalist and writer Anuradha Bhasin criticized the vetting, stating, “After all, books are not bombs. When was the last time someone read a book and chose to pick up a gun?”

The vetting has raised fears of censorship and an attack on collective memory in Kashmir, with police also reportedly raiding bookshops following bans on titles accused of secessionism.

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