All stories by AAKAR PATEL
What the Kashmir masterstroke will mean for our soldiers
Rediff.com19 Aug 2019'More members of the Indian Armed Forces have died in Kashmir, North East and Naxal areas than in the 1962 and 1971 wars against Pakistan combined. These deaths are the result of political failure and not war.'
'Made on Earth by humans'
Rediff.com1 Aug 2019'How will someone who has stood on Mars and looked at Earth, only a tiny blue dot in space, then see the idea of nations and religions and all of our divisions?' says Aakar Patel.
What Chandrayaan-2 will do for India
Rediff.com22 Jul 2019'In a part of the world where the government tells people what not to eat and what slogans to shout and not shout, it is beneficial to develop a mentality that is science minded and therefore open-minded.' 'That is possibly why the space programme has always had support from all sides of the political divide,' says Aakar Patel.
How Congress can redefine party politics
Rediff.com16 Jul 2019'There is no meritocracy or at least there is none that is visible and transparent.' 'The Congress has two opportunities to change this,' says Aakar Patel.
Why India has not made a world-beating global invention
Rediff.com15 Jul 2019'If Indians are as smart as their counterparts in university, and have equal opportunity, then what is the reason that we cannot produce inventions of quality that are recognised by the world?'
Why an Indian hero's statue was unveiled in Pakistan
Rediff.com10 Jul 2019'In Pakistan there has been no problem about the installation of the statues of these men, unlike the Jinnah portrait or other controversies that seem to be present in India these days quite regularly,' says Aakar Patel.
A Kashmir diary
Rediff.com3 Jul 2019'On the drive to the airport, the streets are lined with men in battle camouflage carrying assault rifles and bearing familiar faces -- Tamilians, Bengalis, Punjabis, feared by the locals and in turn fearing them,' notes Aakar Patel during a visit to Srinagar.
Why America hates Iran
Rediff.com25 Jun 2019India should do what we can to ensure that our two friends do not get into a confrontation that is meaningless and ultimately damaging to everyone including us.
What I learnt in Srinagar
Rediff.com21 Jun 2019'There are no multiplexes, not a single cinema hall and no malls.' 'Because the government in Delhi constantly cuts off mobile services, there is no app-based economy in Srinagar.' 'There are 403 news channels in India, but there is none in Kashmir,' notes Aakar Patel after a journey to the Kashmir valley.
Why I salute Azim Premji
Rediff.com12 Jun 2019'Azim Premji has given away about one-and-a-half lakh crore rupees of his wealth.' 'Most of us will not even know what that sum actually means.' 'To put it into context, it can fund India's health budget and education budget,' points out Aakar Patel.
Modi prefers total control in his hands
Rediff.com5 Jun 2019'Modi personally provides the higher direction of the ministry and the minister then works with bureaucrats on implementation,' points out Aakar Patel.
Can the Opposition pick itself up?
Rediff.com28 May 2019Nobody understands the deep causes of defeat and victory better than the defeated. The defeated have been to all the battlefields. They have looked into the eyes of their soldiers and those of the opponents, says Aakar Patel.
Abusive election season ends: What next?
Rediff.com25 May 2019'I do not think it's possible for the winners and losers to shake hands and go back to regular business at the end of this.' 'It seems visceral, personal and nasty at a depth we have not plumbed before,' says Aakar Patel.
Why I Voted
Rediff.com22 May 2019'There will be millions of us who will feel fear and insecurity because of the menace of majoritarian ideology.' 'It is for the wellbeing and security of those of my fellow Indians, who are affected and who I care for, that I have voted,' says Aakar Patel.
Will India turn into a Hindu Rashtra?
Rediff.com14 May 2019'It is only because of the Congress that we became a secular republic.' 'As we enter a period where another political force has became dominant, it will be interesting to see if this legacy of Nehru and the Congress is sustained or we are taken in a new direction,' says Aakar Patel.
UP will decide if Modi will remain PM
Rediff.com9 May 20192019 will be 'a match between the old caste politics and something new which we have not fully understood in UP,' says Aakar Patel.
What BJP has and Congress doesn't
Rediff.com3 May 2019'One goal of the Congress would surely have been to rebuild its organisation so that it begins to match that of the BJP.' 'However, this has not happened, though Rahul Gandhi has been in the party for 15 years now,' says Aakar Patel.
Why Pulwama won't get Modi more votes
Rediff.com24 Apr 2019'The narrative that is the ruling party is using on Pulwama is not productive.' 'I do not think Modi and the BJP will get more votes because of that incident and the response to it,' says Aakar Patel.
How educated does an MP have to be?
Rediff.com19 Apr 2019'One hopes that in his second term, Modi spends more time reading serious material even if it bores him or is against his nature,' says Aakar Patel.
Why we vote the way we do
Rediff.com13 Apr 2019'What aspect of the air strikes would make it possible for a voter to change her mind?' asks Aakar Patel.