Aakar Patel
Read biographyAakar Patel is a writer and columnist. He is a former newspaper editor, having worked with the Bhaskar Group and Mid Day Multimedia Ltd.
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Manto’s Anna Hazare moment: Who will save India?
This is Manto's Anna Hazare moment. His shriek of protest against politicians he thinks are bringing the nation to ruin. His faith in the people is as strong as that of the protesters of 2012 and his solution is also similar to that of middle-class Indians today - a strong man who is #Anna Hazare #Muhammad Ali Jinnah #Muslim League #NewsTracker
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Battle 2014: How does Congress look at Rahul Gandhi?
There are two ways of looking at Rahul Gandhi. The first that he wants to become prime minister and is looking out for an opportunity to do this. His chamchas in the Congress, Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is one, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Reddy is another, have assumed this is what #Congress #InMyOpinion #Rahul Gandhi #sushma swaraj
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Business of blasphemy: Manto on Pakistan’s colourless future
If ever there was a prophetic piece on Pakistan it is this one. I find it astonishing that it hasn't been translated till now. Manto sketches an apocalyptic, Mad Max-type future for Pakistan in this essay, as he began to recognise its Orwellian trajectory. Who can say he had it wrong? #Manto'sMusings #Pakistan #Saadat Hasan Manto
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Pakistan election: Will the vote be anti-American this time?
Just after 9/11, a colonel from the Israeli Defence Forces briefed some Indians in Tel Aviv. Speaking about the neighbours, he said anti-Israeli sentiment was higher in the population than in the military leaderships. Dictators were more alert to self-interest and less driven by passion. It was the people that were #HowThisWorks #Imran Khan #Pakistan election #Pakistan elections 2013
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Cigarette snatchers: Manto on the spoils of World War II
World War II brought severe shortages to India as goods and services were diverted to the war effort in Europe. The Army had been expanded and used to consume vast quantities of foodstuffs. These were rationed across India, as also were cigarettes, which now had to be got from the #Manto'sMusings #Saadat Hasan Manto #World War II
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Syed Ali Shah Geelani: the man between India and Hurriyat engagement
One man is preventing the Hurriyat Conference from engaging, if not compromising, with India. He is of course Syed Ali Shah Geelani, from the Jamaat e Islami, a group founded in undivided India by the great intellectual from Maharashtra, Abu'l Ala Maududi. Maududi opposed Partition, saying that Muslims could not be #HowThisWorks #Hurriyat Conference #Kashmir #Pakistan #Syed Ali Shah Geelani
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Hindi or Urdu? Manto on post-independence language wars
As the freedom movement took off, so did a dispute between what the official language of India would be. Some said Hindi because it was spoken by more people, others said Urdu because much of the law and history was in it. Gandhi's instruction was that all Indians should learn Hindustani #Hindi #Language wars #Manto'sMusings #Urdu
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Kashmir all-girl band: How religion and music are connected in India
Let's look at religion and music, after the events in India of this week. A group of teenage Kashmiri girls apologised, promised to disband their rock group and stop practising music after a fatwa referred to the band as un-Islamic. Mufti Bashiruddin Ahmed, famous for his Shariah court verdicts against missionaries, #Fatwā #HowThisWorks #Islam #Kashmir all girls band #Music #Pragaash Band #Pragash Band
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Forget Singapore, Gujarat can’t feed its own people
Columnist Aakar Patel said that if the youth believe in the Modi development 'nonsense' they should go back and read some
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Why India doesn’t need to change its rape law
India's cabinet approved the death penalty for rapists, it was reported on Saturday. Does India have a rape problem? No, it doesn't. This is according to a report in the Indian Express on December 9, 2008 ('It's official: India 3rd worst offender in rape cases'). The person filing the report didn't understand #Delhi gangrape case #InMyOpinion #Justice Verma Committee Report