Mainstream Weekly

An Honest Bicycle | T. Vijayendra

T. Vijayendra — 2024-07-19T21:57:33Z

“The market is too race-centric; carbon fiber, electric shifting, full suspension, 11 speed, doesn't really enhance the enjoyment of cycling. In the 1970's and 80's we cycled to be closer to nature, for the environment, for our health, for the simple beauty of cycling.” —Junzo Kawai, the founder of Suntour In this piece, we use the word ‘honest' in the same sense as ‘honest' food – food that is wholesome and nutritious, as opposed to junk food. By an honest bicycle, we mean a roadster or a (…)

- 2024

The Politics Of The Bicycle Lane | T. Vijayendra

T. Vijayendra — 2024-06-01T02:35:19Z

In recent years there is demand for bicycle lanes by a section of the bicycle community in India. It comes mainly from Metro cities and people who demand are also younger people who use fancy/professional bicycles and are members of various bicycle clubs. Ordinary people who use the standard/roadster/Bangla cycles do not appear to be part of this group and nor is there such a demand from smaller cities and towns. The ostensible reason given is the safety of the cyclist.
However in our (…)

- 2024

On Passion | T Vijayendra

T. Vijayendra — 2024-03-29T11:46:14Z

I have been fascinated by the word and concept of Passion for more than 50 years. I first came across the word in early sixties in a biographical novel of the German musician Mendelssohn (1809-1847), in ‘Beyond Desire' (1956) by Pierre La Mure. The central theme of the novel is the discovery of the scores of ‘St. Matthew Passion' (1727), a very important piece of music written by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), in a butcher's shop in Berlin in 1829, and the subsequent struggle of (…)

- 2024

Bicycle and Women's Liberation | T. Vijayendra

T. Vijayendra — 2024-03-01T11:13:00Z

[published on March 8, 2024]
Bicycling and Feminism
One hundred years ago, Alice Hawkins, a suffragette, cycled around Leicester (UK) promoting the women's rights movement, causing outrage by being one of the first ladies to wear pantaloons in the city. During the fight to win the vote the bicycle became not only a tool but also a symbol for the emancipation of women.
The American civil rights leader, Susan B Anthony, wrote in 1896:
"Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I (…)

- 2024

A Dialogue on New Socialism An Interview with the Editor of ‘The New Socialist Reader' | T. Vijayendra

T. Vijayendra — 2024-02-09T21:26:54Z

Reader: What are the aims of your journal?
Editor: As the bold lines at the bottom of every page in our journal says:
Our short term goal is to unionise all the working classes.
Our long term goal is to achieve socialism.
R: What are the main issues you take up in your journal? E: Every issue of our journal carries material to help educate the working class in the ideas of New Socialism.
R: What is New Socialism? E: It is the ideas of socialism relevant to our times.
R: What do (…)

- 2024

Leprosy in India: Difficult Road Ahead | T. Vijayendra

T. Vijayendra — 2024-02-03T03:38:45Z

Introduction
January 30 is observed as World Leprosy Day. To a common man leprosy is repulsive. The site of poor beggars in rags having deformities makes people turn their back with horror. Some hastily throw some coins without looking at them. If you happen to go near their settlements in some hidden corners of the city, the site is equally disheartening.
However, leprosy is one of the least infectious diseases as nearly everyone has some measure of natural resistance against it. India (…)

- 2024

On Hinduism: Clarifying Some Confusions | T. Vijayendra

T. Vijayendra — 2023-11-11T02:36:55Z

Introduction
There is quite a lot of political debate going on about Hinduism. Laymen and young cadres are quite confused about it. This article attempts to remove some fog from the issue. So the language is simple and non academic. All dates and figures are rounded off though care is taken that they are not significantly different from more accurate estimates.
We will attempt to answer four basic questions which to us appear at the root of confusion. They are:
1. What is Hinduism? 2. (…)

- 2023

Review of Mansoor Khan's 'ONE: The Story of the Ultimate Myth' | T Vijayendra

T. Vijayendra — 2023-10-20T22:53:38Z

BOOK REVIEW
by T. Vijayendra
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ONE: The Story of the Ultimate Myth
by Mansoor Khan
Harper Collins India 2023, Pp. 145
Available at Amazon Rs. 449/-
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It is a gem of a book! It is a small book, 145 pages. It is a fiction, a novella. Very satisfactory reading! Reminds me of the feeling I got after reading some of the great novellas - Lu Hsun's ‘The True Story of Ah Q' or Rajinder Singh Bedi's ‘Ek Chadar Maili Si'. It has the touch of a film editor – not a single wasted (…)

- 2023 / Book Review

Book Excerpt: Transition Town Movement by T. Vijayendra, Usha Rao and Shreekumar

T. Vijayendra — 2023-09-08T22:55:59Z

TRANSITION TOWN MOVEMENT: Local Action in the Wake of Global Emergency and Collapse by T. Vijayendra, Usha Rao and Shreekumar
2023, Sangatya, Pp 80, Rs. 50/-
Manchi Pustakam Email: sureshkosaraju[at]yahoo.co.in Mobile: +91 73822 97430
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EXCERPTS
We are caught in a Global Emergency. This has several aspects to it - Resource Depletion, Global Warming, Ecological Degradation, Growing Inequality and Social Unrest. The primary cause of this emergency is the current crisis of (…)

- 2023

What Went Wrong with The Communist Movement In India - Answers to a Layperson's Questions | T. Vijayendra

T. Vijayendra — 2023-08-12T07:05:29Z

A lot of ordinary people in India – both women and men have a lot of respect for the communists and communist movement. It is based on their direct knowledge from interactions with the communists in trade union movements and other social and political movements. They are also impressed by the personal integrity of most of the communists. They are prepared to overlook aberrations of some of them.
They are puzzled as to why the communists had so little success. What went wrong? How did they (…)

- 2023