Jammu and Kashmir Government Orders Forfeiture of 25 Publications Citing National Security Threats

Srinagar, August 6, 2025:  In a significant move aimed at safeguarding national integrity and curbing the spread of extremist ideologies, the Home Department of Jammu and Kashmir has officially ordered the forfeiture of 25 publications deemed detrimental to national security. The directive was issued under Section 98 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023.

The order identifies the banned publications as materials that “excite secessionism and endanger the sovereignty and integrity of India,” citing violations of Sections 152, 196, and 197 of the BNS. The Home Department stated that credible intelligence and investigative findings pointed to these books as active contributors to radicalization among youth, propagation of false narratives, and promotion of terrorist glorification.

Among the notable titles included in the list are:

• • Azadi by Arundhati Roy
  • Kashmir: The Case for Freedom, co-authored by Arundhati Roy
  • The Kashmir Dispute 1947-2012 by A.G. Noorani
  • A Dismantled State by Anuradha Bhasin
  • Resisting Occupation in Kashmir by Haley Duschinski, Mona Bhan, Ather Zia, and Cynthia Mahmood

As per order, these publications are said to operate under the guise of academic or political commentary but have “consistently distorted historical facts, glorified acts of terrorism, vilified security forces, and fostered narratives of alienation and victimhood.

The government maintains that such literature has played a tangible role in:

• • Creating sympathy for extremist elements
  • Undermining trust in state institutions
  • Encouraging separatist sentiment
  • Misleading the youth towards violence and anti-national activities

The forfeiture applies to all physical and digital forms of the publications, which are now subject to immediate seizure. The Home Department emphasized that these materials had been “persistently circulated with the intent to radicalize and polarize,” and their continued availability posed a threat to communal harmony and national unity.

This decision marks a firm stance by the Jammu and Kashmir administration against what it describes as “systematic psychological subversion” through select literature. The government reiterated its commitment to upholding constitutional values, preventing youth radicalization, and ensuring that the region’s path forward is one of peace, stability, and inclusive development.

Full List of Forfeited Publications:

1. 1. Azadi– Arundhati Roy
   2. Kashmir: The Case for Freedom– Tariq Ali et al.
   3. *The Kashmir Dispute 1947-2012* – A.G. Noorani
   4. A Dismantled State– Anuradha Bhasin
   5. Human Rights Violations in Kashmir– Plotr Balcerowicz & Agnieszka Kuszewska
   6. Kashmir’s Fight for Freedom– Mohd Yosuf Saraf
   7. Colonizing Kashmir– Hafsa Kanjwal
   8. Kashmir Politics and Plebiscite– Dr Abdul Jabbar Gockhami
   9. Do You Remember Kunan Poshpora– Essar Batool et al.
   10. Mujahid Ki Azaan– Imam Hasan Al-Bana Shaheed (Ed. Maulan Mohammad Enayatullah Subjhani)
   11. Ali Jihadul Fil Islam– Moulana Moudadi
   12. Independent Kashmir– Christopher Snedden
   13. Resisting Occupation in Kashmir– Haley Duschinski et al.
   14. Between Democracy and Nation– Seema Kazi
   15. Contested Lands– Sumantra Bose
   16. In Search of a Future– David Devadas
   17. Kashmir In Conflict– Victoria Schofield
   18. Kashmir at the Cross Roads– Sumantra Bose
   19. Resisting Disappearance– Ather Zia
   20. Confronting Terrorism– Stephen Cohen (Ed. Maroof Raza)
   21. Freedom Captivity– Radhika Gupta
   22. USA and Kashmir– Dr Shamshad Shan
   23. Law & Conflict Resolution in Kashmir– Plotr Balcerowicz & Agnieszka Kuszewska
   24. Tarikh-i-Siyasat Kashmir– Dr Afaq
   25. Kashmir & the Future of South Asia– Sugata Bose & Ayesha Jalal (Eds.)