All books on Manipur will need state approval for publication

Manipur government has said that henceforth all books on the state's history, culture, tradition and geography will need to be approved by a state panel before publication.

The decision has been criticised by intellectuals and civil society members who accused the government of 'curtailing academic freedom'.

The order stated, "it was brought to the notice of the state government that "some books published on the history, culture, tradition and geography of the state contain material which distort facts and disturb the peaceful coexistence of various communities" and this has prompted the government to form a committee headed by state education minister. A book recently sparked a controversy by stating that Manipur was only 700 square miles of the valley area at the time of its merger with India. It implied that hill areas, which were inhabited with Nagas and Kukis, were not part of Manipur.