Is genocide just another mechanical work?
“We're back to work.” An Israeli occupation soldier posted a video documenting himself shelling Gaza with heavy artillery after the reignition of the genocidal war on the war-torn region.Viju: In…
T Vijayendra
Tade Union and Social Transformation: Reflections on ‘Barber’s Trade Union’ by Mulk Raj Anand
Mulk Raj Anand (1905 – 2004) is considered to be a father figure in the history of Indian English writings. A lifelong socialist, he is known for depicting life of…
On Jugaad
Jugaaḍ is a non-conventional, frugal innovation, in Indian subcontinent. It also includes innovative fixes or a simple workaround, solutions that bend the rules, or resources that can be used in…
What is Hinduism?
Books on Hinduism will easily fill a library. Yet when confronted with the question ‘What is Hinduism’ even scholars tend to fumble and give long answers. In this article we…
Me And My Bicycle – A Narrative: Part II (2000 – 2024)
This is a two part narrative account of my experience with bicycle for 55 years. My bicycle experience can be divided into three historical periods: 1.1956 -2000; 2. 2000- 2017;…
Me And My Bicycle – A Narrative: Part I (1956 – 2000)
This is a two part narrative account of my experience with bicycle for 55 years. My bicycle experience can be divided into three historical periods: 1.1956 -2000; 2. 2000- 2017;…
On Composting Space
Oh! Shit! Yes, let us talk some shit! All animals shit, including human beings. What happens to the shit? It gets composted and goes back to soil. That is until…
Bicycle And Transition Town
“Bicycle is one of the simplest solutions to some of the world’s most complex urban challenges." So what are the world’s most complex urban challenges? There are several areas where…
Ecology And Milk
Introduction Our food habits vary from place to place. What is normal in one region can be unusual or even illegal in another place. Many people think that milk is…
The Enigma of Hindi
There is a vigorous opposition to Hindi in South India. It goes under the name, ’Imposition of Hindi’. On the other hand, it is an undoubted fact that more people…
A Dialogue On New Socialism
An Interview with the Editor of ‘The New Socialist Reader’ Reader: What are the aims of your journal? Editor: As the bold lines at the bottom of every page in…
Leprosy In India: Difficult Road Ahead
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…
On Hinduism: Clarifying Some Confusions
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…
A Critic of Civilization
ONE: The Story of the Ultimate Myth by Mansoor Khan Harper Collins India, 2023, Pp. 145 Available at Amazon Rs. 449/- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is a gem of a book! It…
The Bicycle-Selected Writings on Bicycle
These essays and stories about the bicycle have been written since 2017. There are ten essays and two short stories. The essays are divided in two groups – Shorter essays…
Transition Town Movement: Local Action in the Wake of Global Emergency and Collapse
by T Vijayendra, Usha Rao and Shreekumar We are facing a global emergency and collapse. The emergency is due to the twin crises of global warming and resource depletion. When…
Birding and Health
Baba Mayaram is a freelance Hindi journalist from Madhya Pradesh. He grew up in a village in Hoshangabad District and has worked as a journalist in Indore and Raipur. He…
Credible Fantasies by T Vijayendra
T Vijayendra has just published a new book of short stories with a title, ‘Credible Fantasies’. The blurb reads: 'The central idea of the fantasies presented here is to…
What went wrong with the Communist Movement in India: Answers to a Layperson’s Questions
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…
Transition Town Movement – Part II – Local Action in the Wake of Global Emergency and Collapse
This is the complete text of the talk that was delivered under the auspices of the Vivekananda Chair, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, on 27th May, 2023. This talk…
Transition Town Movement – Part I – Local Action in the Wake of Global Emergency and Collapse
This is the complete text of the talk that was delivered under the auspices of the Vivekananda Chair, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, on 27th May, 2023. This talk…
Book Review: The Story of a People’s Movement
(MY MOTHER’S STORY) By Rupesh Anand Patkar 2010, Publication No. 42, Kolhapur, Comrade Govind Pansare Amrit Mahotsav Samiti, Pp. 137, Rs 65/- From the early seventies, in the wake of…
Who are the Muslims and Christians in India: Understanding the ‘Hindu’ fear of Muslims and Christians
We have been seeing attacks on Christians and Muslims in India for the last few years. Several Indians are worried about it and fear for the future of democracy…
Book Review: A Contemporary Feminist, Marxist And Environmentalist
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FROM KERALA TO KESLA By Loriette Benjamin “Lorry” Qurate Books Pvt. Ltd, Panaji Goa. 2023, Pp 74, Rs. 300/- Contact: Lorry: 82807 95523 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lorry (Loriette Benjamin) was born…
The Fourth Industrial Revolution And The ‘Energy Transition’ Hoax: III – Hydrogen Energy
Introduction The Fourth Industrial Revolution is the current programme of capitalism to restructure production, distribution and consumption in the face of the multiple crises it has been facing since 2008.…
The Fourth Industrial Revolution And The ‘Energy Transition’ Hoax: II – Nuclear Energy
Introduction The Fourth Industrial Revolution is the current programme of capitalism to restructure production, distribution and consumption in the face of the multiple crises it has been facing since 2008.…
The Fourth Industrial Revolution And The ‘Energy Transition’ Hoax: I – Solar Energy
Introduction The Fourth Industrial Revolution is the current programme of capitalism to restructure production, distribution and consumption in the face of the multiple crises it has been facing since 2008.…
Book Review: Renaissance and the 1857 Rebellion in the Hindi region
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BAGAAWAT AUR WAFAADAARI: NAVJAGRAN KE IRD-GIRD (REBELLION AND FAITHFULNESS: IN THE VICINITY OF THE RENAISSANCE) By Vir Bharat Talwar 2023, New Delhi, Vani Prakashan, Pp. 152, Rs. 399/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------…
Bicycle and Women’s Liberation
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…
Seven Pillars of Wisdom: The Heritage of the Twentieth Century Science for the Twenty First Century
Popular Discourse of Science in the Twentieth Century The discourse of science in the twentieth century was dominated by understanding the atom, relativity, quantum mechanics, communication theory, space science and…
Bicycle Is The Future: Cycling In Indian Cities and Its Future
The bicycle, invented two hundred years ago in 1817, was called an iron horse because like a horse it is an individual transport. However on occasions it can carry two…
Book Review: A forgotten feminist
GANDHI AUR SARLA DEVI CHAUDHARANI: BARAHA ADHYAY (GANDHI AND SARLA DEVI CHAUDHARANI: TWELVE CHAPTERS) By Alka Saraogi 2023, New Delhi, Vani Prakashan, Pp. 216, Price Rs. 299/- Alka Saraogi (1960-…
The Hope Lies With The Generation Z
Generation Z Generation Z are those who were born between 1997 and 2012. As the world is going through a catastrophic change, it is they who are going to face…
What does it mean to be human? An Anarchist/Humanist Perspective
If you feel pain then you are alive. If you feel the pain of others then you are human. Leo Tolstoy Similar profound statements…
Sustainable Consumption, Sustainability in Value Chain
This is a small article addressed to beginners Sustainable Consumption Life on earth can be divided in two parts – plant life and animal life. The difference between the two…
Capitalism: Why we should scrap it
This is a new book by Ted Trainer. You can download it for free (170 pp.) at: https://thesimplerway.info/CAPITALISMBOOK.pdf This book provides a fairly short but sufficiently detailed critical discussion of…
Questioning Technological Determinism – II
This is part II of an essay in two parts on modern technology and its demise. Part I deals with the history of modern technology starting from the Industrial Revolution…
Questioning Technological Determinism -1
This is an essay in two parts on modern technology and its demise. Part I deals with the history of modern technology starting from the Industrial Revolution (1760-1830) and ending…
Book Review: People’s Tales From Narmada Valley
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NARMADA GHATI SE BAHUJAN GATHAYEN Editors: Ojas S. V., Madhuresh Kumar, Vijayan M. J. and, Joe Athiyali Translation: Chinmay Mishra New Delhi, April 2022, Navarun, Pp. 247, Price Rs.…
Atheist, Irreligious And Anarchist
India is going through a lot of communal tensions for the last few years. As a response to it some secular persons have been, among other things, organising ‘Inter –…
Marxism and Anarchism
Recently Arun Kumar Sinha posted in Marx_Forum, Murray Bookchin’s pamphlet ‘Listen! Marxist!’ This was published in the '50s in which he admonished and rebuked the ‘Marxists’ community. To Marx_Forum Dear Arun,…
Sharab, Shabab aur Kebab -III
Morality in Political Discourse in India This is a three part article and each part is complete in itself. Therefore each part is being published with the same title. The…
Sharab, Shabab aur Kebab -II
Morality in Political Discourse in India This is a three part article and each part is complete in itself. Therefore each part is being published with the same title. The…
Sharab, Shabab aur Kebab -1
Morality in Political Discourse in India This is a three part article and each part is complete in itself. Therefore each part is being published with the same title. The…
Abolishing the competitive examinations for entrance to educational institutions
Tamil Nādu abolishes the competitive examinations for admissions to medical colleges Tamil Nadu Admission in Professional Educational Institutions Act (2007) abolished the Common Entrance Test (CET) and proposed the Pre…
Kurosawa’s Ikiru and the current spate of resignation among professionals
Akira Kurosawa (1910 - 1998), was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed 30 films in a career spanning 57 years. He is regarded as one of the most important…
World Soil Day
Today December 5, is celebrated as the world soil day (WSD). The proposal for a global day to celebrate soil was first recommended in the year 2002 by the International…
Bicycle In Jamshedpur
In the twentieth century nothing represented the working class culture more than the bicycle did. That is why the film ‘Bicycle Thief’ (1948, Italy, Director: Vittorio De Sica) remained the…
English in India
Indian society is deeply fissured. The fault lines lie along caste, sub caste, class, religion, region, language and several other overt and unstated domains. The linguistic division of states and…
Neo Liberalism And The Decline Of The Roadster In India
Roadster Roadster is the standard or as in Bengal we call it the ‘Bangla’ cycle. Its design was perfected around 1890 and it has not changed significantly since then. Many…
The Project of Capital and the Project of the Proletariat in a time of World Crisis
ABSTRACT This is a response to the two sets of articles written by Sajai Jose on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and on the world’s and India’s hunger crisis. It is…
Indore: A Memoir
A memoir is a sort of autobiography. You record only those things that have affected you. You don’t do any research for it, except occasionally to check a date or…
Remembering Comrade Shankar Guha Niyogi
Today, September 28, is the 30th death anniversary of Comrade Shankar Guha Niyogi (February 14, 1943 – September 28, 1991). He was murdered by the agents of the capitalist class.…
World Rivers Day
Today, September 26, 2021, is World Rivers Day. World Rivers Day is a global celebration of the world's waterways, observed every year on the last Sunday in September. Established in…
World Car Free Day
Today, September 22 is the World Car Free Day. It is celebrated in many cities around the world to create awareness about how our locality will look and feel like…
Hindi Has Arrived!
Many writings about Hindi are 'breast beating' in the style of Bharatendu Harishchandra's 'Bharat Durdasha'. This article has a positive attitude towards Hindi Literature. The history of literary Hindi is…
The Politics Of The Bicycle Lane
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…
Tackling Corona: Think Local, Act Local
First of all, I want to salute the front line health workers who have done a heroic job and have risked their life. No words or compensation can ever adequately…
World Cancer Day
Today, February 4, is the World Cancer Day. We wish all the cancer patients and caregivers – family members, friends and caregivers in the cancer hospitals from all levels –…
Population Problem Today
ABSTRACT Today no one is talking of controlling population any more. Fertility rates are falling all over the world and many governments are encouraging births; giving monetary support and withdrawing…
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