All stories by Aakar Patel
Is Trouble Brewing For Modi In BJP?
Rediff.com3 Aug 2024As the 240-seater prime minister attempts to moderate his image of hardline hero, he has made room for others to elbow in and that is what is happening. And that it what will continue to happen from inside the BJP, notes Aakar Patel.
What Happens If Biden Drops Out?
Rediff.com11 Jul 2024The Democrats have elected a set of state representatives who will act as an electoral panel. These representatives will have to pick someone else. This could be Vice President Kamala Harris, who is widely seen as a top contender, but is not popular, points out Aakar Patel.
Will Godi Media Change In Modi 3.0?
Rediff.com28 Jun 2024'The election results mean that the Opposition can no longer either be ignored or attacked in the way that it has been.' 'For this reason it will be interesting to see how it behaves from here on and whether there is any change in its behaviour,' notes Aakar Patel.
Modi's Invincibility Is Gone And Gone Forever
Rediff.com21 Jun 2024It is possible to be blind to this and pretend to carry on as if nothing has happened but that will not change the reality, asserts Aakar Patel.
An Era Of Secrecy Is Over For Modi
Rediff.com11 Jun 2024'The word 'ally' in a coalition is misleading because it suggests someone who is always for you and with you. This is incorrect.' 'They are always for themselves and sometimes with you,' explains Aakar Patel.
What Can India Expect If Modi Returns?
Rediff.com3 Jun 2024'The Opposition will continue to be attacked through misuse of agencies, civil society will be force-marched towards extinction and India's plummeting on global indices will continue.' 'Minorities and especially Muslims will continue to have open season declared on them. Institutions will continue their decline,' predicts Aakar Patel.
Is India Still A Democracy?
Rediff.com3 Jun 2024Today in 2024, the BJP jails its opponents during an election and still believes, or at least wants us to believe, that it is only following the rules of democracy, asserts Aakar Patel.
Where Was Modi When We Needed Him Most?
Rediff.com24 Apr 2024'From April 25, 2021, Modi disappeared. He made no public appearance for 20 days.' 'The prime minister of India fled the field when his people needed the government most,' points out Aakar Patel.
BJP's Complete Distrust Of Federalism
Rediff.com1 Apr 2024What is to be done to resist the twin thrusts of the BJP's ideology, majoritarian and a strong centripetal instinct against federalism? asks Aakar Patel.
Desis Rally For Secular India
Rediff.com25 Mar 2024The Constitution's Preamble says that we Indians have resolved to secure for Indians 'fraternity, assuring the dignity of the individual'. Fraternity can come only when we stand up for each other. The desis of the Boston South Asian Coalition actually attempt to do that, points out Aakar Patel.
Is Modi's Authoritarianism Good For India?
Rediff.com22 Mar 2024We need not spend much time going over what this government has done and is doing to the Opposition, by misusing the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI. There is a daily update on that, notes Aakar Patel.
The Birth Of BJP, Child Of Largest NGO
Rediff.com13 Mar 2024Immediately following its ban being lifted on July 11, 1949, the RSS began debating entering politics in the pages of its house organ, The Organiser. Thus was born the Jana Sangh/BJP, points out Aakar Patel.Thus Was Born Jana Sangh/BJP, asserts Aakar Patel.
Electoral Bonds Exposes Weakness In India's Institutions
Rediff.com22 Feb 2024When a strong executive decides it wants something, even something that is dangerous and unconstitutional, there is little resistance from within to stop it, notes Aakar Patel.
Caste Is Missing In Prohibition Debates
Rediff.com5 Feb 2024The point made by sociologist M N Srinivas, that it represented a Sanskritic act that was linked to caste, is never raised in Indian debates and the disapproval of drink is almost universal, notes Aakar Patel.
Advani: Ram Temple's Accidental Architect
Rediff.com19 Jan 2024As the temple is inaugurated, unfortunately for Advani but unsurprisingly for the rest of us, the architect of the party's rise will not lead the ceremony and claim credit for his achievement, notes Aakar Patel.
Modiji, Why Fix Laws That Ain't Broken?
Rediff.com5 Jan 2024The judiciary, the police, the lawyers and the public will have to know the new laws. It will also endanger settled jurisprudence on the old laws and open up all sorts of minor and major problems that currently do not exist. Whose then was asking for the change? Not the judges or police or lawyers or citizens, points out Aakar Patel.
Modi's Flawed Foreign Policy
Rediff.com21 Dec 2023We should reassess what India's role in the world is and whether we are doing the right thing for ourselves, notes Aakar Patel.
Modiji Census Kab Hoga?
Rediff.com1 Dec 2023Given the reality of the disparity and the enormous shift over the last 50 years, this can be done without an open and frank conversation with the people, something that has not begun and, knowing the style of our leader, is not expected to begin, asserts Aakar Patel.
Demonetisation: Why Did RBI Protect Modi?
Rediff.com17 Nov 2023Events proved that on every count the RBI had accurately predicted both the damage and the lack of benefit. What the RBI was hiding was the fact that Modi had ignored its concerns -- all of which turned out to be true -- and gone ahead anyway, asserts Aakar Patel.
Bandh Karo Yeh Electoral Bonds!
Rediff.com14 Nov 2023Despite the objections raised by Reserve Bank of India and Election Commission, India's politics has been funded anonymously and it is time to end this, asserts Aakar Patel.