‘Painful’: CPI(M) MP V Sivadasan condemns book ban in JK

New Delhi: CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Dr V Sivadasan on Thursday strongly criticised the Jammu and Kashmir administration’s decision to ban 25 books, terming it a blow to democratic values and freedom of expression.

Reacting to the government’s claim that the books promote “false narrative and secessionism,” Sivadasan said, “The Jammu and Kashmir administration has banned 25 books. This is painful news. India is a democratic and secular country. The banning of books written by Noorani and Arundhati Roy should be strongly opposed by democratic forces.”

The banned titles include works by constitutional expert AG Noorani, writer-activist Arundhati Roy, and political scientist Sumantra Bose, among others. The government has invoked provisions of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita to justify the move, alleging that the books promote radicalism and threaten national integrity.

Earlier, Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that such moves will not alter historical truths or erase the lived experiences of the Kashmiri people.