Government schools across Indian-occupied Kashmir reportedly removed Kashmiri language textbooks for students up to year eight, sparking local outrage amid fears of an Indian-orchestrated assault on Kashmiri culture.
Teachers and activists have criticised the School Education Department (SED) and the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) for the oversight in providing textbooks in the local language.
Rights activist Rasikh Rasool Bhat said the absence of textbooks reflected a significant lapse by authorities.
“Textbooks were not available up to Class 8, which is unfortunate and troubling,” he told local media. “Teachers across Kashmir had to manage with makeshift arrangements. We hope this gap is addressed in the next academic session.”
Teachers said they were forced to rely on outdated materials, photocopies, and personal notes to complete the syllabus.
“We had to prepare lessons ourselves without any official support,” said a teacher from a government middle school in central Kashmir, who requested anonymity.
The lack of proper textbooks has raised concern among educators, parents, and civil society members, who say it undermines the National Education Policy 2020, which emphasises teaching in regional languages to strengthen cultural roots.
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Parents have called for a formal inquiry into the issue, demanding that the government ensure timely distribution of textbooks in the upcoming academic year.
“How can students be tested on something they never had access to?” asked a parent from Srinagar. “This affects their learning and disconnects them from their mother tongue and heritage.”
Activists say the delay reflects persistent administrative lapses in supporting Kashmiri language and identity in schools, despite official claims of promoting multilingual education.
Many warned that repeated gaps could discourage students and weaken literacy efforts in the region amid continued Indian interference and oppression in the occupied territory.
Some teachers suggested that the education department consider digital or online alternatives to provide study material until textbooks are available.
Civil society groups have urged authorities to take accountability and align educational practice with the vision of the National Education Policy.
“If the government is serious about preserving regional languages, it must provide children the basic tools to learn them,” Bhat said.
The issue has also raised concern among Kashmiris, who see the timely availability of textbooks in their mother tongue as important for preserving their cultural and religious identity.
The incident has reignited concerns about education in Kashmir, where bureaucratic inefficiency and resource shortages continue to affect schooling, particularly in rural areas.
In recent years, the education sector in Indian-occupied Kashmir has seen a growing pattern of book bans and curriculum interventions.
Earlier this year, authorities reportedly removed several books from school libraries and reading lists, citing “security and content review concerns.”
Academics and rights groups have warned that such measures, combined with failures to provide essential learning materials, risk stifling intellectual growth and eroding the region’s linguistic and cultural identity.
Under the National Education Policy 2020, India’s government pledged to promote education in regional languages and encourage diversity in learning.
Activists in Kashmir say the gap between policy and practice continues to widen, leaving students and teachers to bear the consequences.
