J&K Suspends 8 Officials Over School Library Book on Separatist Figures

The Jammu and Kashmir administration led by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has suspended eight officials and blacklisted two authors and publishers after a book found in government school libraries was found to contain content related to separatist leaders. The book, titled "Personalities and Legends of J&K," included a detailed entry on Maqbool Bhat, founder of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), who was executed in 1984 for his role in seeking independence for Kashmir.

Officials described the inclusion as "serious negligence, dereliction of duty and lack of proper due diligence" by members of the sub-committee and supervisory officers involved in selecting books for schools. The book was authored by Hilal Ahmad and Santosh Meena, and published by Oberoi Book Service, Jammu. It was supplied to schools under the Samagra Shiksha programme, with 123 copies sent to the Jammu division and 128 to the Kashmir division. The books were intended for 18,328 government schools and 394 PM SHRI schools. Four expert sub-committees had been constituted for the selection process, according to officials.

In addition to the suspensions, a Computer Assistant assisting the Coordinator Library has been disengaged. The government order also bans and blacklists the authors and publishers in the Union Territory with immediate effect. "Any printed material authored and/or published by them shall also be withdrawn from the Union Territory," the order stated. An inquiry has been initiated, with a report due within 30 days.

The discovery of the book sparked protests from several organisations in Jammu. Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accused the National Conference government of promoting what he termed "academic jihad." He said, "This is not history or education. This is academic subversion. It is academic jihad against India. The book attempts to revive separatist ideology among the youth." He alleged that the publication promotes the narrative of separatist leaders such as Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Masrat Alam, Shabir Shah and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and seeks to "spread hatred against India and its armed forces."

Jammu and Kashmir Minister for School Education Sakeena Itoo said the government would take the strictest possible action against those responsible. "It is unfortunate. The moment it came to my notice, I instructed the Education Secretary to act immediately. I had asked for termination, but suspension orders have been issued and an inquiry has already been ordered," she said. She added, "A deliberate conspiracy appears to have been hatched and we will not allow such things."

The incident highlights ongoing tensions in the region over how historical and political figures are portrayed in educational materials. The government has emphasized its commitment to preventing any content that could influence young minds in a manner contrary to the constitutional framework of India.