2 Million Books Scanned In J&K, Over 4,000 Withdrawn For "Anti-National" Content

Over two million books have been scanned in Jammu and Kashmir as part of a large crackdown on books and literature with "objectionable and anti-national content". 

The Government says after an extensive audit, 4,767 books have been weeded out from libraries and public institutions.

The records were placed before the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday in response to a question by an independent MLA, Sheikh Khursheed Ahmad.

According to the Higher Education Department of J&K Government, a whopping 21,81,582 books and publications have been scrutinised so far. A crackdown on books and literature was started after police raided bookstores and libraries and seized hundreds of books allegedly promoting "secessionist ideology" early last year.

The government says the scrutiny of more books is underway, and the process may take more time to complete. Officials say 1,752 more books have been referred to the Director Colleges J&K for expert examination.

"It's a crackdown on knowledge. They are not just erasing our memory; they are now banning our books. They are trying to erase whatever is written about Kashmir," Sheikh Khursheed, MLA, Langate.

Sheikh said the banning of books and withdrawing them from libraries and institutions is an attempt to distort the history in the name of curbing "anti-national" content.

The government says that it has adopted a clear and "objective criteria" for identifying "objectionable material" According to higher education department "the purpose of the exercise is to ensure that higher-education institutions foster an environment based on constitutional values, academic freedom, critical thinking, scientific temper and responsible citizenship,"

The crackdown on literature and books started in February 2025 after Jammu and Kashmir Police raided bookstores in Srinagar and seized 668 books. After the seizure police claimed that these books were distributed to promote the ideology of banned Jama'at e Islami.

Months later, in August 2025, Home Department of J&K Government declared 25 books as forfeited and banned from publication, circulation or sale in Jammu and Kashmir. The Government accused the publications of propagating secessionism. Among them are books authored by AG Noorani, Arundhati Roy, Christopher Snedden, and Sumatra Bose.

Recently, a controversy over two books supplied to government schools in the region led to a large-scale crackdown on books in Jammu and Kashmir.

A book titled, Personalities and Legends of Jammu and Kashmir and Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir. The administration objected to the mention of separatist leaders, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Maqbool and Masrat Alam. The government ordered probe and suspended eight officials of education department and

Eventually, a wide crackdown and scrutiny of books were launched after the Higher Education Department ordered a comprehensive audit of books and literature in colleges and publicly funded libraries.