The Jammu and Kashmir government has withdrawn two books from school libraries, citing highly inappropriate content on separatism. The counter-intelligence wing of the J&K Police subsequently conducted searches at the Jammu premises of the publisher of one of the books, following the registration of an FIR under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The Education Minister, Sakina Itoo, described the matter as unfortunate and a deliberate conspiracy, vowing to take strict action against those found involved in the supply of such books to schools.
Suspension orders have been issued, and an enquiry has been ordered into the matter. Eight officials from the school department were suspended, and one contractual employee was terminated from service after the controversy erupted. The withdrawn books, ‘Personalities and Legends of J&K’ and ‘Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir’, were published by Oberoi Book Service, Jammu, and Anurag Prakashan, Delhi, and supplied to school libraries as part of Samagra Shiksha for higher secondary classes.
According to an order by Ram Niwas Sharma, Commissioner/Secretary, School Education Department, the books contained references with the potential to create law-and-order issues, and their selection reflected serious negligence, dereliction of duty and lack of due diligence. The order also blacklisted the authors and their publishing houses from publishing any other material in the Union Territory. The Leader of the Opposition in the J&K Assembly, Sunil Sharma of the BJP, sought a high-level investigation into the matter, describing the circulation of controversial books as infusing academic subversion and to initiate academic jihad.
The ruling National Conference’s provincial president, Rattan Lal Gupta, said that it was a deliberate attempt by vested interests to damage the image of an elected government.
