Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has ordered the suspension of eight officials and supervisory staff of the School Education Department after two books containing “highly inappropriate content” were found to have been supplied to government schools. The L-G has also ordered a high-level inquiry into the matter and banned the authors and publishers of the books in the Union Territory.
The action came after the BJP, Congress and other political parties raised objections, alleging that the books glorified separatism and anti-India elements. The School Education Department, in an order issued on Friday, directed the immediate withdrawal of both books from schools.
The books in question are ‘Personalities and Legends of J&K’, authored by Hilal Ahmad and Santosh Meena, and ‘Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir’, authored by Sushant Giri.
“It has come to the notice of the department that these books contain highly inappropriate content. It is evident that there was serious negligence, dereliction of duty and lack of proper due diligence by the members of the Sub-Committee Series-4 and supervisory officers while recommending books containing content related to separatism, which has the potential to create law and order issues,” the order stated.
The government said the members of the sub-committee appeared responsible for serious lapses and negligence unbecoming of government servants.
The suspended officials are Fazil Imran Saddiqui, Coordinator Library, Samagra Shiksha; Gurjeet Singh, Assistant Coordinator, Samagra Shiksha; Sanjeev Sharma, Principal, Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS), Kore Pannu; Shazia Kouser, Academic Officer, SCERT Jammu; Imtiyaz Ahmad Mir, Lecturer, Boys Higher Secondary School, Wathoora, Budgam; Niranjan Sharma, Lecturer, GHSS Badhat, Kishtwar; Renu Mengi, Lecturer, DIET Jammu; and Rajmohini, Lecturer, Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Poonch.
The order also directed the immediate disengagement of Sheikh Suheel Ahmad, a contractual computer assistant attached to Samagra Shiksha.
L-G Sinha has appointed Ashwani Kumar, Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Power Development Department, as the Inquiry Officer to conduct a detailed probe into the matter.
The government also ordered that the authors and publishers of the two books be banned and blacklisted in Jammu and Kashmir. It further directed that any printed material authored or published by them be withdrawn from the Union Territory.
Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition in the J&K Assembly and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma demanded an immediate ban on the books. He alleged that the publications glorified terrorists, separatists and anti-India elements and posed a serious threat to the sovereignty and integrity of the country.
