New Delhi, Aug. 15 -- The freedom to read isn't one of the fundamental rights protected by the Constitution. But it certainly is one of those pesky acts of rebellion that gives governments around the world sleepless nights. Last week, the Jammu & Kashmir government banned 25 books written by scholars, writers and journalists from being sold in the state, blaming these works for "misguiding youth." As an official notification put it, "This literature would deeply impact the psyche of youth by promoting a culture of grievance, victimhood, and terrorist heroism." In a just world, a book's merit ought to be left to the judgement of the reader, not pre-emptively decided and dismissed.

So, this Independence Day, Lounge decided to offer a small...