India’s War Against Knowledge in IIOJK: Banning Books to Bury the Truth

A Dangerous Move to Suppress Dissent

The latest action by the BJP-led Indian government in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is yet another reminder that New Delhi is not ready to face the truth. In a deeply alarming move, the administration has banned 25 books written by respected Kashmiri, Indian, and international writers. These books include works on the political history of IIOJK, the human rights situation, and the legal status of the region. This step reflects India’s growing fear of facts and its desire to silence every voice that exposes its oppression in the occupied territory.

The banned books include important academic texts, historical records, and personal accounts of suffering and resistance. These are not books of fiction or hate; they are studies, reflections, and investigations. The decision to ban them is not based on national interest but on political insecurity. When a government begins to fear books, it shows that it has already lost the battle for truth.

An Attack on Free Thought

Among the banned titles are Human Rights Violations in Kashmir, Kashmir’s Fight for Freedom, Colonizing Kashmir, and Kashmir Politics and Plebiscite. These books provide valuable insight into the political struggle in IIOJK and highlight the suffering faced by the people under occupation. The authors include well-known names such as Mohd Yosuf Saraf, Hafsa Kanjwal, Dr Abdul Jabbar, Essar Batool, A G Noorani, Arundhati Roy, Angana P Chatterji, and Ayesha Jalal. Each of them has presented facts that challenge the official narrative promoted by the Indian state.

By banning Azadi, The Kashmir Dispute (1947–2012), and Kashmir: The Case for Freedom, the Indian government has openly declared that it will not tolerate any account that does not match its claims. This is not the behaviour of a democratic state. It is the reaction of a government that is afraid of its own history.

Controlling Knowledge After Silencing Voices

India has already limited press freedom in IIOJK. Journalists are threatened, newspapers face pressure, and the internet is regularly shut down. Now, the state has extended its control to academic and intellectual work. Books like Resisting Occupation in Kashmir, In Search of a Future: The Story of Kashmir, and A Dismantled State do not promote violence; they simply document it. They describe life under constant surveillance, enforced disappearances, and military rule. By banning these books, India has proven that it does not want the world to know what is happening inside the occupied region.

The objective is not only to suppress current voices but also to erase history. Titles such as Tarikh i Siyasat Kashmir, Independent Kashmir, and Law & Conflict Resolution in Kashmir are part of the academic and political memory of the region. Their removal from libraries and institutions is an effort to remove the facts themselves.

The Politics of Fear

The Indian state has long tried to portray the situation in IIOJK as a matter of internal security. But this new wave of censorship exposes the true motive: fear. India is afraid that its actions in the region will be questioned, its decisions challenged, and its image destroyed. That fear has now reached classrooms and bookshelves.

Banning books like Freedom in Captivity, Between Democracy and Nation, and Resisting Disappearance is not just an attack on free speech. It is an attack on academic freedom, on legal thought, and on the right to ask questions. These bans prove that the Indian state has no space for discussion, no room for disagreement, and no respect for facts.

A Clear Violation of Rights

These actions are in complete violation of international laws and democratic values. Freedom of expression, academic independence, and access to information are protected rights under international agreements. By silencing these voices, India has violated not only the rights of the authors but also the rights of the people of IIOJK to know their own history.

Books like Contested Lands, Mujahid ki Azaan, Al Jihadul fil Islam, and USA and Kashmir deal with topics of religion, politics, and legal history. Their banning shows that the Indian government is now targeting every possible source of truth, whether it comes from religious thought, legal scholarship, or political history.

The Silence of the World Encourages Injustice

The international community has watched in silence as India continues to erase history in IIOJK. The banning of these 25 books is not an isolated act. It is part of a larger campaign to remove all resistance from the public space. India wants to create a version of history that suits its interests and hides its crimes.

Books like Kashmir at the Crossroads, Confronting Terrorism, and Kashmir & the Future of South Asia present diverse perspectives. Erasing them from public access is an effort to cut off all windows to the truth. This silence from world powers allows India to carry out its policies without facing any pressure.

A People Cannot Be Silenced by Banning Pages

The people of IIOJK have lived through generations of occupation, conflict, and injustice. Their experiences cannot be erased by removing books from shelves. The banned authors, including Dr Afaq, Radhika Gupta, Dr Shamshad Shan, and others, have written what millions have lived. Their words are now part of the shared memory of a people who refuse to forget.

India may be able to ban these books from libraries and universities, but it cannot remove them from the hearts of the people. These books will continue to be read, shared, and remembered—because they represent the truth that cannot be hidden.

Conclusion: The Battle for Memory and Meaning

The banning of 25 important books in IIOJK by the Indian government is not about security or stability. It is about controlling knowledge, denying history, and suppressing truth. This action reflects a deeper insecurity within the Indian state that cannot tolerate any challenge to its false narrative.

Pakistan must raise its voice on every platform and support the right of the people of IIOJK to access their own history, to speak their truth, and to resist through knowledge. The world must also realise that silence is no longer acceptable. Every banned book is a reminder that truth still matters and that justice must be defended.

The words may be removed from shelves, but they remain written in the conscience of a people who refuse to surrender. And no ban can change that.