2 min readOct 24, 2026 10:09 PM ISTJaved Akthar added that there was a huge amount of misinformation in the country.Poet Javed Akthar, known for his outspoken atheism, on Saturday advised GenZ to be reasonable and rational.He was speaking at the Symbiosis Literary Festival in Pune. When a student asked him what was the one single conviction he’d like to plant in GenZ, he responded by saying, “Be reasonable and rational”.Akthar’s session was a discussion on the book Hindostan Humara describing India’s history through poetry. The book was compiled by Akthar’s father Jaan Nisar Akthar, after the idea was given to him by Jawaharlal Nehru in the 1960s, he said.The anthology was reissued in 2006 with the aim of making poems accessible to the new generation. When asked by the host what had changed in the last two decades, Akhtar said society had further weakened its link with art.“With a heavy heart, the last two decades have weakened our relationship with art. In feudal times, there was no opportunity. A zamindar’s son would become the zamindar and the munshi’s son would become a munshi. Therefore people were not very ambitious. But in a free market, opportunity has no end and people are ambitious. But there is also a danger of being greedy or selfish. And in this greed, we forgot a lot of luggage at the platform. This luggage is literature, language, culture, art,” Akthar said.However he said that the younger generation was reviving culture as they have found there’s something missing.Akthar added that there was a huge amount of misinformation in the country. “We are not aware of our history. Instead of history, most of us know the myths. We are misinformed by different vested interests.”Story continues below this adWhen a student asked if art was necessarily political, he replied, “Yes and no. The Mona Lisa drawn by Da Vinci, is it political? No. But an artist should be free. If you want to write about politics, you should be free to do it. Banning poems, banning books is not a healthy thing,” he said.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdSoham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More Tags:puneAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementAdvertisement