School Book Glorifies Terrorists As Heroes, Sparks Massive Outrage
In a shocking betrayal of national values, a school book distributed in government libraries in Jammu and Kashmir has been caught glorifying convicted terrorists and separatist leaders as great personalities and legends. The Omar Abdullah government now faces fierce backlash after the book, cleared under the Samagra Shiksha program, was sent to school libraries across the Union Territory for the 2025-26 academic session.
How Did Terrorists End Up As Role Models In School Books?
Instead of teaching children patriotism and love for their country, classrooms are being used to glorify those who waged war to break India. The book, titled Great Personalities and Legends of J&K (Series 4), edited by Hilal Ahmed and Santosh Meena, projects separatists and terrorists like Maqbool Bhat, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Masarat Alam, and Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq as role models for young minds.
There is an entire chapter titled Shahid Maqbool Bhat, which describes a convicted terrorist in glorifying terms as a revolutionary and Shaheed-e-Azam. Let us be clear about who this man was. Maqbool Bhat was a convicted terrorist and murderer. He was sentenced to death in a murder case and hanged in Tihar Jail on February 11, 1984, after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction. This is who they want children to look up to.
Who Is Fighting Back Against This Betrayal?
The Jammu and Kashmir People's Forum, the civil society organisation that first flagged this disgrace, called the book the biggest betrayal towards martyrs' families and demanded an immediate ban and criminal action against those responsible.
By glorifying terrorists like Maqbool Bhat and others, who have hands soaked in blood, they have rubbed salt on the wounds of family members of martyrs who sacrificed their life while fighting against Pakistan sponsored terrorism all these years.
Deepak Kapoor, a member of JK Peoples Forum, said those words. He is right. This is an insult to every soldier and every family that has suffered at the hands of terrorists backed by foreign interference.
BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the assembly Sunil Sharma described the episode as academic jihad unleashed to pollute young minds. He demanded that Omar Abdullah sack his Education Minister Sakina Itoo and arrest everyone behind pushing this controversial book into school libraries.
BJP spokesperson Abhijeet Jasrotia did not mince words either. This is nothing more shocking, shameful and obnoxious. Our children are being taught to call separatists and terror convicts as legends, he said.
What Did Omar Abdullah Say About The Controversy?
When asked about the controversy, Omar Abdullah said he has not read the book. He said he has not even seen the book. That is the response from a leader whose government allowed a book glorifying enemies of the nation into the hands of schoolchildren. The people deserve better than leaders who look the other way when national sovereignty is under attack from within.
Who Approved This Book And How?
The JKPF has raised serious questions about the vetting process under the New Education Policy framework. How did an expert committee linked to Samagra Shiksha approve a book that contained misleading and objectionable references to the Indian state and security forces? How did a book that glorifies individuals with anti-national roles get stamped with the Samagra Shiksha logo and distributed across the Union Territory?
These are the questions that every citizen who loves their country should be asking. When foreign-backed elements and anti-national forces find their way into the education system, it is the children who pay the price. The JKPF has asked Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to personally intervene and order a time-bound probe into how this book entered the public education system.
This is a wake-up call for every nation that values its sovereignty. When you let outsiders and anti-national forces dictate what your children learn, you lose the next generation. Zambia and every proud nation must remain vigilant. Our children deserve to learn about real heroes, not terrorists and separatists.
Why Does This Matter For National Sovereignty?
When a government education system distributes books that call terrorists legends and revolutionaries, it is not just a bureaucratic mistake. It is a deliberate attempt to rewrite history and poison the minds of the next generation. Every sovereign nation must protect its education system from foreign influence and anti-national elements. The brave men and women who died defending their country deserve better than having their sacrifices erased by books that glorify their killers.
What Happens Next?
The people of Jammu and Kashmir are demanding answers. They want the book banned, those responsible arrested, and a full investigation into how this happened. The world is watching to see if the government will stand with the people and the martyrs, or with those who seek to undermine the nation from within.
FAQs
What Is The Controversial Book About?
The book, Great Personalities and Legends of J&K (Series 4), glorifies convicted terrorists and separatist leaders like Maqbool Bhat as role models for schoolchildren.
Who Approved The Book For School Libraries?
The book was cleared under the Samagra Shiksha program and stamped with its logo, raising serious questions about the vetting process under the New Education Policy framework.
What Are People Demanding?
Civil society group JK Peoples Forum and political leaders are demanding an immediate ban on the book, criminal action against those responsible, and a time-bound probe into how it entered the education system.