IISER Pune removes Umar Khalid’s book from library to ‘avoid misunderstanding or unrest’

IISER Pune removed Fractured Communities: Adivasi Histories and the Politics of Power, a book by activist Umar Khalid. The administration said it acted to “avoid any misunderstanding or unrest.” The decision matters because it concerns access to academic research in a university library, while the author is also jailed in a high-profile case.

The book was published earlier this year. It is based on Khalid’s PhD thesis at Jawaharlal Nehru University and studies Adivasi societies in Jharkhand’s Singhbhum region under British rule. The removal followed attention on social media after a photograph showed the book as a new library addition.

Madabhushi Madan Gopal, chairperson of IISER Pune’s board of governors, said he was “shocked” that the book had been added. He said it was retracted and that action had been initiated against those responsible. He also assured that such incidents would not happen again.

Fractured Communities: Adivasi Histories and the Politics of Power is a historical study of Adivasi societies. It focuses on the Singhbhum region of Jharkhand during British rule. The subject matters because it examines how power and colonial rule shaped the histories of communities whose experiences are often studied through larger political and social changes.

The book is based on Umar Khalid’s PhD thesis at Jawaharlal Nehru University. It was published earlier this year, before being added to the IISER Pune library. The article identifies its central focus as Adivasi history and the politics of power, rather than Khalid’s current legal case.

The book became part of a controversy after a social media account shared a photograph of it as a new library addition. IISER Pune later removed it, saying the step was meant to avoid misunderstanding or unrest. The episode placed the book’s academic subject alongside debate about its author.

Umar Khalid has been in prison for more than six years without trial in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. The length of his incarceration is a central fact in the article because the library controversy involves a person whose academic work is being judged alongside an unresolved criminal case.

The violence broke out in North East Delhi in February 2020. It left 53 people dead and hundreds injured. Most of those killed were Muslims. The police arrested Khalid and charged him, along with activist Sharjeel Imam and others, under several laws.

The charges include the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, the Arms Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code. Police allege that the violence formed part of a larger conspiracy connected to protests against the amended Citizenship Act. The article reports that Khalid remains jailed without trial.

The removal followed a social media post, not a reported library review of the book’s historical research. Gems of Indian Academia shared a photograph showing Fractured Communities as a new addition to the IISER Pune library. The post brought the acquisition to wider attention and triggered an institutional response.

Madabhushi Madan Gopal, chairperson of IISER Pune’s board of governors, said on social media that he was “shocked” the book had been added. He described the addition as “this mischief.” The administration then removed the book, saying it wanted to avoid misunderstanding or unrest.

Gopal said the book was retracted the previous night and that action had been initiated against those responsible. He assured readers that such things would not happen again at IISER Pune. The article does not specify who selected the book, what disciplinary action followed, or whether it was later restored.

The 2020 Delhi riots were communal violence that broke out in North East Delhi in February 2020. The violence occurred between supporters of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act and people opposing it. It killed 53 people and injured hundreds. Most of those killed were Muslims, making the episode a major and deeply contested event.

The article links the violence to protests against the amended Citizenship Act. Police allege that the violence was part of a larger conspiracy planned by people who organised those protests. They also claim the alleged plan sought to defame the Narendra Modi government. These are police claims reported in the article, not a court finding.

Umar Khalid, activist Sharjeel Imam and others were arrested and charged in the conspiracy case. The charges include the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and other laws. Khalid has remained in prison for more than six years without trial, according to the article.

The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, commonly called the UAPA, is an Indian law aimed at activities the state considers threatening to the country’s sovereignty, security or integrity. This general explanation comes from established legal knowledge; the article only states that Khalid and others were charged under the Act.

The law is significant here because UAPA charges were brought against Umar Khalid, activist Sharjeel Imam and others in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. They also face charges under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, the Arms Act and the Indian Penal Code. Police allege a larger conspiracy behind the violence.

The article reports that Khalid has been in prison for more than six years without trial. That fact gives the UAPA charge particular importance in the story, because it connects the library dispute to a prolonged criminal case. The article does not report a verdict or establish the allegations as proven.

Academic freedom is the principle that scholars and students should be able to research, teach, discuss and access ideas without improper political or institutional interference. This established definition goes beyond the article’s facts. It matters because libraries are meant to support inquiry, including research about controversial people, movements and historical subjects.

A university library can provide access to a book without endorsing every claim made by its author. In this case, Fractured Communities is a historical study based on Umar Khalid’s PhD thesis. It examines Adivasi societies in Singhbhum under British rule. Its removal followed a social media photograph and concerns about possible misunderstanding or unrest.

The article reports that IISER Pune removed the book and that its board chair said action had been initiated. The case raises a broader question about how institutions balance safety concerns with scholarly access. Academic freedom does not remove the need for lawful policies, but decisions should be transparent and based on academic criteria rather than pressure alone.