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381.The Third Moment
Mujibur Rehman and Aakar Patel with Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed
Speakers
What happens when the promise of equal citizenship begins to fade for one of the world’s largest Muslim populations? In today’s India, the question is no longer theoretical, but urgent and deeply personal for over 200 million people.
This session explores the shifting political landscape of Indian Muslims through the lens of Shikwa-e-Hind, the new book by political scientist Mujibur Rehman. He examines what he calls their “third political moment,” a phase marked by the erosion of constitutional equality and the rise of a majoritarian ethos since 2014. Tracing the arc from the aftermath of 1857, through the hopeful vision of 1947, to today’s polarised climate, Rehman invites a critical look at the future of democratic participation for Indian Muslims.
The conversation features Mujibur Rehman in dialogue with author and columnist Aakar Patel and moderated by journalist Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed. They will explore the tension between constitutional ideals and majoritarian pressures, the structural challenges of representation, and the possibilities for reclaiming dignity, rights, and democratic participation for Indian Muslims. The session will conclude with a Q&A, offering space for your questions in what promises to be an inclusive and engaging discussion.
In this episode of BIC Talks, Mujibur Rehman and Aakar Patel will be in conversation with Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed. This is an excerpt from a conversation that took place in the BIC premises in Jul 2025.
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Speakers
Mujibur Rehman
Dr. Mujibur Rehman teaches at Jamia Millia Central University, New Delhi, specialising in identity politics and development politics, with a special focus on religious minorities. His earlier publications include Rise of Saffron Power: Reflections on Indian Politics (2018), and Communalism in Postcolonial India: Changing Colors (2016). He writes for major Indian dailies and weeklies on contemporary issues and has also worked on research projects hosted by Princeton University, Columbia University, Sciences Po, University of York, and ICSSR. He has received his graduate training from the University of Austin, Texas, USA; the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi. His next book project is tentatively titled, Explaining the Muslim Mind.
Aakar Patel
Aakar Patel is a syndicated columnist who has edited English and Gujarati newspapers. His books include Why I Write, a translation of Saadat Hasan Manto’s Urdu non-fiction (Tranquebar, 2014), Our Hindu Rashtra: What It Is. How We Got Here, a study of majoritarianism in India and Pakistan (Westland, 2020), Price of the Modi Years, a history of India after 2014 (Penguin Random House, 2021), The Anarchist Cookbook, a guide on why and how to protest (HarperCollins, 2022) and the novel After Messiah (Vintage, 2023). He is Chair of Amnesty International India.
Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed
Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed is an award-winning journalist with Frontline newsmagazine and is based in Bengaluru.
