Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah faces backlash over textbook praising separatists

The Jammu and Kashmir government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has come under intense criticism after a school textbook bought under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme was alleged to glorify separatist leaders and terrorists. The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples’ Forum (JKPF) says the book, titled “Great Personalities and Legends of J&K (Series‑4)”, portrays figures such as JKLF founder Maqbool Bhat and Syed Ali Shah Geelani as “great personalities”.

JKPF and other civil‑society groups have called for criminal prosecution of the officials who recommended the book and of those responsible for its distribution, citing the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The controversy follows a recent dispute in which Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha banned 25 books accused of glorifying terrorism, a move the Abdullah administration said was handled by the Union Home Department. The issue highlights tensions over education policy and the balance between free speech and national security in the Union Territory.