SRINAGAR: J&K govt has pulled 4,249 books from public, school and college libraries, and sent another 1,752 titles for “expert examination” after screening more than 21.8 lakh books for “objectionable content” over the past two months, education minister Sakina Itoo told the assembly Tuesday.The scrutiny follows orders issued in July by the education department and universities to screen all books — new and old — in offices, classrooms, staff rooms and libraries after the Union territory administration withdrew two books it called “highly inappropriate”. A year ago, the home department had banned 25 books on Kashmir for promoting “a false narrative”, “secessionism”, and “anti-national” views.Authorities have banned and removed 518 books so far. Of the 4,249 books withdrawn, 3,996 were from Kashmir and 253 from Jammu.The figures came in response to a question by MLA Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh of jailed MP Engineer Rashid’s Awami Ittihad Party, who accused govt of removing books related to Kashmir. “I have anything related to Kashmir issue or Kashmir is being removed from libraries of the universities and colleges. Even books by great writers on Kashmir are being removed… Do they want a bookless society in Kashmir?” he alleged.
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“We must be told what books are removed from circulation and why so,” Sheikh said, demanding that govt release their names. He also accused CM Omar Abdullah’s govt of facilitating what he called “large-scale targeting of Kashmir-related books and literature”.Itoo said in a written reply that “clear and objective criteria” were being used to identify objectionable material. Scrutiny of books was a “laborious exercise” and would take more time, she said, adding higher education institutions are expected to foster constitutional values, responsible citizenship and respect for India’s sovereignty, unity and integrity.
