(ANI file photo)
SRINAGAR/JAMMU: A political storm erupted Saturday in J&K after it was found that a book for govt school libraries described the region as “India-occupied Kashmir” and “Indian-held Kashmir” and referred to banned JKLF founder Maqbool Bhat as “Shaheed”.Opposition BJP demanded education minister Sakina Itoo’s resignation, sought an immediate ban on the book and criminal action against those responsible, while lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha’s administration suspended eight school education department officials, blacklisted authors and publishers, withdrew two books from govt school libraries and ordered a high-level inquiry.Assembly leader of opposition Sunil Sharma alleged “Personalities and Legends of J&K” — the book supplied to govt school libraries under the central scheme Samagra Shiksha — promoted an “anti-national” narrative. “The book should be banned immediately. Those responsible for approving, publishing and distributing it must be identified and held accountable,” he said, demanding Itoo’s dismissal and a probe covering officials, “including those at the ministerial level”.In Jammu, J&K Peoples’ Forum alleged the book used terms such as “India-occupied Kashmir”, described JKLF’s Bhat as “Shaheed-e-Azam” and projected him as a “great personality”. Bhat was hanged and buried in Tihar jail in Feb 1984 after being convicted of killing a CID inspector.Congress also demanded a high-level probe and action against those responsible.CM Omar Abdullah declined comment, saying he had not read the book. Itoo could not be reached despite repeated calls.According to school education commissioner secretary Ram Niwas Sharma, library grants for 18,328 govt schools and 394 PM Shri schools were received under Samagra Shiksha. He said four sub-committees comprising experts and academicians from both Jammu and Kashmir divisions were constituted to select appropriate books.The sub-committees shortlisted 463 books submitted by 364 publishers. Sharma didn’t reveal the shortlist date.The department later pored over the books and found “highly inappropriate content” in “Personalities and Legends of J&K” by Hilal Ahmad and Santosh Meena and “Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir” by Sushant Giri.By then, however, 123 copies of the first book had already reached schools in Jammu, Ramban and Udhampur, while 128 copies of the second were supplied to Jammu and Baramulla before both were withdrawn. Authors and publishers were blacklisted and all their publications ordered removed from J&K.Govt suspended Fazil Imran Saddiqui, Gurjeet Singh, Sanjeev Sharma, Shazia Kousar, Imtiyaz Ahmad Mir, Niranjan Sharma, Renu Mengi and Rajmohini, disengaged a contractual computer assistant and appointed financial commissioner Ashwani Kumar to complete an inquiry within 30 days.The row revived a long-running battle over narratives in J&K. Last Aug, LG-led administration banned 25 books, alleging they promoted “false narratives”, secessionism and glorified terrorism, in what officials described as a push against “narrative warfare” in Kashmir.
