Books on valley's history being removed from University of Kashmir, alleges Srinagar MP

Lok Sabha MP Ruhullah Mehdi on Wednesday said academic freedom and the right to engage with history must never become casualties of ideological control. Mehdi, the Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar, alleged that the books related to Kashmir's history and identity were being removed from the University of Kashmir under the audit of publications across the educational institutions in J-K. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday directed the administration to ensure robust oversight over procurement, distribution and availability of any publications containing anti-national, separatist or objectionable content in the educational institutes and libraries in the Union Territory.

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The LG chaired a high-level meeting with senior officers and reviewed the action taken regarding the circulation of books and literature containing anti-national and separatist content in educational institutions. "The reports of books relating to Kashmir's history and identity being removed from the University of Kashmir, alongside the ongoing audit of educational institutions, are deeply troubling. Libraries exist to preserve knowledge, not curate political narratives," Mehdi said on his official handle on X.

He said erasing books does not erase history, and it only impoverishes scholarship. "A society that fears ideas ultimately fears the truth. Academic freedom and the right to engage with history must never become casualties of ideological control," he added.