Aakar Patel is an Indian journalist, activist and author known for writing against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Narendra Modi through his columns.
Wiki/Biography
Aakar Patel was born in 1970 (age 52 years; in 2022) in Surat, Gujarat. He attended Sir JJ English School, Surat, Gujarat and Metas Adventist School, Surat. He continued his studies at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.
Physical appearance
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye Color: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
Aakar’s father’s name is Anil.
Aakar Patel’s parents
Aakar’s sister name is Ashleshaa Khurana, an author.
Aakar Patel’s sister
Wife & Children
Aakar married Tushita Patel on 14 December 1998.
Aakar Patel wedding images
Aakar Patel with his wife
Relationships/Affairs
It was reported that while Aakar was pursuing his studies, he was in a relationship with a Muslim girl, and when he told his family about his girlfriend, his mother threatened that he would hang himself.
religion
Aakar follows Hinduism. In an interview in 2015, he said that his family was a Vaishnavite who worshiped Krishna.
Journalism
After completing his studies in Baroda, he began his career in journalism when he joined Asian Age as a trainee sub-editor. Later, he went to Mumbai to work as a journalist at Asian Age, Mumbai. After being a part of Asia Times for some time, he joined Deccan Chronicle, and later, he worked at Dorling Kindersley. Later, he became the deputy editor of Deccan Chronicle and the chief editor of Mid Day Multimedia Ltd. He was the co-author of the ‘Rights and Wrongs’ report on the 2002 Gujarat riots by the Editors’ Guild. In 2002, he returned to Surat and started working as the editor-in-chief of the Gujarati newspaper Divya Bhasker.
Amnesty International India
In 2015, he was appointed as the head of Amnesty International India. While he was working at Amnesty, he wrote columns in newspapers against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Narendra Modi. In an interview, the organization spoke about Aakar and said,
We are delighted that Aakar Patel will be joining us. Amnesty International India is one of the movement’s three national offices, established to increase our impact in countries of growing global influence that continue to face human rights challenges. Aakar’s commitment to human rights in his journalism and writing positions him perfectly to take on this important role.”
After reading his column, many BJP followers referred to it as anti-national. During his tenure at Amnesty International India, the organization was raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Enforcement Directorate. In 2016, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, alleged that Amnesty International India was inciting, and he also filed a case against Amnesty International India after which the organization was charged under section 124-A. Many people started criticizing Aakar and tweeting that Aakar is a Muslim, and his name is Aakar Ahmed Patel.
Controversy
In 2022, Aakar courted controversy when authorities at the Bangalore Airport prevented him from boarding his flight to Boston, US. Reportedly, he is accused of violating provisions of the FCRA as the CBI’s ‘look out circular’ (LOC) in the case of violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) has been issued against him. He was headed to the US to deliver a lecture, but he was not allowed to leave the country. He went to the Gujarat court to seek permission to allow him to attend foreign assignments and lecture series organized by various universities in the US till May 30. The court granted him permission, but he claimed that he was still stopped at the airport even after taking permission from the court.
Facts/Trivia
- Aakar likes to read Greek and Roman translated texts.
- He enjoys writing and reading Urdu. He was the first person to translate the book ‘Why I Write’ by Saadat Hasan Manto into Hindi in 2014.
Translated book by Aakar Patel
- In an interview, Aakar said that in 2017, when there were protests against the death of journalist Gauri Lankesh, he attended one of the protests, where he was enlightened on the meaning of the word dissent.
- In 2021, he authored a book ‘Our Hindu Rashtra’ in which he compared India and Pakistan and also talked about media views. He also authored another book in the same year titled ‘Price of the Modi Years’ in which he talks about Modi’s re-election, Modi’s appeal, and Modi’s management.
Cover of the book ‘Our Hindu Rashtra’
- He is often seen enjoying alcoholic drinks and smoking cigarettes.
Aakar Patel drinks and smokes
- She is a passionate animal lover and often posts their pictures on social media.
Aakar Patel with his pet dog
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
