Reply to All - by Mr. Aakar Patel

I didn't notice the columnist's name at first. Then I came across the following sentence in reference to the Maratha king Shivaji and his army:

'One the day of Dussehra, the mounted horde set out in the direction pointed by their great king. Too often, alas, he pointed towards Surat.'

This made me look at the name at the top of the page - Aakar Patel. Oh, of course. 'That explains it' I said as I continued to read.

The columnist went on to write about how the Maratha army was not engaged in any warfare during the monsoon months. I quote:

'No woman, female slave or dancing-girl was allowed.' reported Sir Jadunath Sarkar.. The moralism of the peasant Maratha, like R.R. Patil, who has murdered Mumbai's beautiful and civilized dance bars, comes from a background.

Whoa, where did this totally unwarranted and absurd remark come from? Is it a cheap publicity stunt to rake up controversy by mentioning Shivaji's name ? And who in his right mind would label the dance bars 'beautiful and civilized'? If they are so, how would Mr. Patel feel if a woman from his family were to work there?