A full bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Monday scheduled December 4 as the date for final hearing of a batch of petitions challenging the Union Territory government’s decision to forfeit 25 books, many of which are well-regarded works on Kashmir’s history, politics, and conflict.
The petitions have been filed by several affected authors and public figures, including journalist and author David Devadas, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, and retired Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak, among others. The bench comprising Chief Justice Rajnesh Oswal and Justice Shahzad Azeem issued notices to the respondents, marking the formal commencement of the proceedings.
“The special bench constituted by the HC immediately issued notice on Monday, which is the first step in commencing the case. The court has now fixed the matter for final hearing and arguments on December 4,” petitioner’s advocate Soutik Banerjee said.
In August, the J&K Home Department issued a notification ordering the forfeiture of 25 books under Section 98 of the Bharatiya Nagrika Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. The government claimed the publications propagated “false narratives and secessionism” in the region. The list includes works by prominent authors, political scientists, and historians such as A.G. Noorani, Arundhati Roy, Sumantra Bose, Sugata Bose, Christopher Snedden, Victoria Schofield, and others.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed the petitioners to approach the J&K and Ladakh High Court. Following this, a full bench was constituted on September 30 to hear the matter.
Books Under Forfeiture
Among the books listed are:
- The Kashmir Dispute: 1947–2012 by A.G. Noorani
- Contested Lands and Kashmir at Cross Roads by Sumantra Bose
- In Search of a Future: The Story of Kashmir by David Devadas
- A Dismantled State: The Untold Story of Kashmir after Article 370 by Anuradha Bhasin
- Kashmir and the Future of South Asia by Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal
Several international publications have also been targeted, including:
- Colonizing Kashmir: State-building Under Indian Occupation by Hafsa Kanjwal
- Resisting Occupation in Kashmir by Haley Duschinski and others
- Kashmir in Conflict by Victoria Schofield
- Independent Kashmir by Christopher Snedden
- Law and Conflict Resolution in Kashmir and Human Rights Violations in Kashmir by Piotr Balcerowicz and Agnieszka Kuszewska
The list further includes:
- Between Democracy & Nation: Gender and Militarisation in Kashmir by Seema Kazi
- Do you Remember Kunan Poshpora? by Essar Batool
- Resisting Disappearance: Military Occupation and Women’s Activism in Kashmir by Ather Zia
Additionally, two ideological publications—Moulana Abul A’la Maududi’s Al Jihad fil Islam and Hasan al-Banna’s Mujahid ki Azan—have also been forfeited.
