Bicycle and Womens Liberation

History of Women and Cycle in India

Indian Women on Bicycle: In Life and in Cinema
Twelve Autobiographical Accounts of
Indian Women aged 90 to 25
Working Women and their Children and the Cycle
Cycle in Sports: Deborah Herold
Fiction: And She Never Looked Back
Telangana and Free Cycles for Girls Programmes in India
2017-Bicentenary of the Bicycle

WOMEN AND CYCLE IN INDIA

Joy, Mobility, Freedom and
Empowerment

By
Bicycle and Women Collective

Ecologise Hyderabad
 WOMEN AND CYCLE IN INDIA
Joy, Mobility, Freedom and Empowerment
Author: Bicycle and Women Collective
Editor: Karnika Palwa
Production: Hema Vaishnavi
Year: 2017
Price: ` 80/-
Copies: 1000
L Copy Left: All Rights Reversed

Publishers: Ecologise Hyderabad

110, Ramanaiah Apartments,
Road No. 2, Jyoti Colony,
Secunderabad-500026, Telangana, India
Email: t.vijayendra@gmail.com
Mobile: +91 94907 05634

For Copies:
Manchi Pustakam
12-13-439, St. No. 1
Tarnaka, Secunderabad 500017
Email: info@manchipustakam.in
Mobile: +91 73822 97430

Layout and Printing:

Charita Impressions
Azamabad, Hyderabad - 500 020. Phone : 27678411

2
 CONTENTS

1. Preface 5
2. Bicycle and Womens Liberation T. Vijayendra 7
3. History of Women and Cycle in India T. Vijayendra 13
4. Indian Women on Bicycle:
In Life and in Cinema Hema Vaishnavi 18
5. Experiences of Women and Cycle
5.1 The Forbidden Experience Sarojini Dhara 25
5.2 A Friend for All Seasons Maya Sharma 27
5.3 My Bicycle and Me Sujata Rao 31
5.4 Childhood Days Basanti Sahu 35
5.5 Cycle: My Dear Friend Jyoti Thacker 39
5.6 Partners in Boredom Ujwala Asundi Kumar 41
5.7 A Six Kilometre Walk Shamala Kittane 43
5.8 My Cycle and Me Aditi Joshi Sharma 47
5.9 The Palwa Superfast Divya Palwa 50
5.10 Bengaluru to Hyderabad on a Bicycle! Indira Penubolu 53
5.11 Pedalling through the Puddles... Yamini Krishna 57
5.12 Best Abroad Experience as a ... Soujanya Mantravadi 59
5.13 Panchali of Pondicherry Hema Vaishnavi 62
5.14 Pinky and Chitty Hema Vaishnavi 67
6. Sport: Deborah Herold Kathakali Chanda 71
7. Fiction: And She Never Looked Back T. Vijayendra 78
8. Free Cycles for Girls in Telangana 87
8.1 Free Cycles for Girls in India 89

3
Hendee 154, 1920. The First Indian Ladies Bicycle

4
 PREFACE

When I first talked about this book at the beginning of this year,
as part of the bicentenary celebrations of the bicycle, many women
responded enthusiastically. As it often happens, some of the early
enthusiasts did not stay whereas other new faces have come up.
So, it took all this time to gather the stories together, write some
additional stuff and put it all together in the present form.
Meanwhile, we published three other books on the cycle. So, as
such we did not waste any time.
This book is a collective effort and all the authors took time off
to write these small pieces. Some of the older authors went down
the memory lane as far as early 1940s! All of them had happy
recollections and many were glad to have this opportunity to look
back. Hema has put in a lot of work in putting the book together
and in producing it. As she has done with so many of our other
books, Karnika has done an excellent job of editing. I cannot
thank them because it is their book also.
As we can see in the following pages, the bicycle has played
an important role in womens liberation movement. As the sub-
title of this little book suggests, they experienced Joy, Mobility,

5
Freedom and Empowerment in the process. We have put together
the experiences of Indian women in order of their age, beginning
with the oldest amongst them.
There is the story of Deborah Herold, a tribal woman from
Nicobar Island who put India on the world map of cycle racing.
This is followed by a short story of a Bengali woman of 50 doing
a solo ride from Calcutta to Pondicherry to fulfil her dreams of
learning French and seeing the world.
While women have come a long way in acquiring cycle and
liberation, there is still a long way to go. Today, only half the
Indian households have bicycles and you can imagine how many
of them have bicycles for the ladies. In recent years, bicycles for
school girls has made a good start with many states adopting the
plan with Bihar leading it. So, we have ended this book with a
letter to the Chief Minister of Telangana to implement this
programme in the state as this book is being published from
Hyderabad. It will be a good idea to have such a programme for
the whole country. We urge the womens movement in the country
to take it up. That will be a concrete achievement and a good
response to the bicentenary of the bicycle.
Finally, I do feel a little awkward for being a male coordinating
this Bicycle and Women Collective. Everybody would have
preferred it to be a woman. Not that there are no competent women
but there are not many and their hands are full. We are living in
an environment where every activist has to stretch her limits. I
have received full support from our Ecologise Group as well as all
the women contributors. I hope more and newer women will come
forward to carry on.
Happy riding!
Vijayendra
Hyderabad
September 15, 2017

6
 BICYCLE AND WOMENS LIBERATION
T. Vijayendra

Bicycling and Feminism

One hundred years ago, Alice Hawkins, a suffragette, cycled
around Leicester (UK), promoting the womens 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 think [the bicycle]
has done more to emancipate women than any one thing in the
world. I rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a bike. It
gives her a feeling of self-reliance and independence the moment
she takes her seat; and away she goes, the picture of untrammelled
womanhood.
Beatrice Grimshaw, who went on to a life of travel and
adventure, describes a girlhood of Victorian propriety, in which
she was: the Revolting Daughteras they called them then. I

7
 Ann Londonderry
1894

bought a bicycle, with difficulty. I rode it unchaperoned, mile

and miles beyond the limits possible to the soberly trotting horses.
The world opened before me. And as soon as my twenty-first
birthday dawned, I went away from home, to see what the world
might have to give to daughters who revolted.
Women gained a significant amount of independence with
the invention of the bicycle. This device gave them the freedom
to travel outside the home of their own power. Bicycle riding also
necessitated more practical clothing for women and led to
significant changes to female attire in society. One individual from
the time period watching female cyclists remarked, It is hard to
believe, that they were the same women who went out in the
afternoon for the formal carriage parade.

8
Women on Wheels: History
Although the bicycle was invented in 1817, it did not become
popular because it had no pedals or chain. One had to drive it by
kicking the ground. Around 1865, somebody in France dared to
take both feet off the ground and onto the cranks for pedalling
the front wheel, proving that it was possible to balance on a bike
and crank at the same time, thus spawning a new boom. This was
called the cranked two-wheeled velocipede. Now in this bicycle,
designers increased bicycle speed by increasing the size of the
front wheel to which the pedals were attached. The typical
Ordinary, as these high-wheelers were known, had front wheels
as large as five feet in diameter so the machine would cover more
ground with each pedal revolution. It required extraordinary
athleticism just to mount an Ordinary, let alone ride one, and
accidents were common. Steering was difficult and even a small
obstacle like a rut in the road or a large stone could send the
Ordinary rider, mounted many feet above the ground, head first
over the front handlebars. Indeed, learning how to take a header
safely was an essential skill.
In the late 1870s, the first so-called Safety bicycles appeared.
Safety bicycles had wheels of equal size and a chain drive that
transferred power from the pedals to the rear wheel. The Safety
quickly proved to be the superior design, both faster and more
stable than the Ordinary, and remains the basis for bicycle design
today.
The Safety, not the Ordinary, was ironically, a bicycle that
ordinary people, including women, could ride. The Ordinary
quickly became obsolete and the Safety bicycle helped usher in
the cycling craze of the 1890s. The safety bicycle fills a much-
needed want for women in any station of life, said The Bearings,
a cycling periodical, in October, 1894, It knows no class distinction,
is within reach of all, and rich and poor alike have the opportunity
of enjoying this popular and healthful exercise.

9
The New Woman
As cyclings popularity exploded, a new breed of woman was
making her mark in the 1890s. The New Woman was a term
used to describe the modern woman who broke the convention
by working outside of home, or eschewed the traditional role of
wife and mother, or became politically active in the womans
suffrage movement and other social issues. The New Woman saw
herself as the equal of men and the bicycle helped her assert
herself as such.
The 1890s was the peak of the American bicycle craze and
consumers were buying bicycles in large numbers. In 1897 alone,
more than two million bicycles were sold in the United States,
about one for every 30 inhabitants.
Cycling in the 1890s was nothing less than a general
intoxication, an eruption of exuberance like a seismic tremor that
shook the economic and social foundations of society and rattled
the windows of its moral outlook. Nowhere was this more evident
than in the role of the bicycle in the changing lives of American
women. Indeed, the womens movement of the 1890s and the
cycling craze became inextricably intertwined.
In 1895, 800,000 bikes were built in Britain alone. A lot of
those bikes were purchased by or for women. Just like the invention
of the post-box (women being able to send letters without the
prying eyes of their father looking over the content first? Madness!),
the bicycle proved to be another leap in women not having to
request permission to do normal, boring stuff.
Suddenly, a whole world full of handsome gentlemen opened
up for women across the UK. The bicycle played a critical role in
both the emancipation of women, and the subsequent expansion
of the national gene pool. Young women could now travel to
neighbouring villages and meet a wider circle of young men.

10
Challenges
It is therefore no wonder, with all this sexual autonomy on offer,
that there was reaction against women riding bicycles. In 1891, a
journalist at the American paper Sunday Herald wrote the
following: I think the most vicious thing I ever saw in all my life is
a woman on a bicycleand Washington is full of them. I had
thought that cigarette smoking was the worst thing a woman could
do, but I have changed my mind.
So why did people have such a problem with women cycling?
Well, these ladies were cheeky enough to cycle outside, in public.
Shock horror. Even if they didnt see themselves as symbols of
emancipation, their very public display of their freedoms was
perceived as a challenge to the ingrained and patriarchal social
order.
Traditional aspects of society pushed against these advances.
The New Woman, who wore less restrictive clothing and rode a
bicycle, became a satirical figure that was ridiculed in the media,
particularly in the US. These women were seen to be abandoning
their husbands, children, and a more traditional way of life. The
relaxed clothes they wore were obviously indicative of their status
as prostitutes. Obviously.
Bloomers and Bicycles
In 1893, the Womans Congress of the Worlds Columbian
Exposition revived interest in the bloomer as an aid in improving
womens health through physical exercise. Bloomers are a divided
womans garment for the lower body like pants. Their session on
womens apparel opened with Lucy Stone, a prominent American
womens rights activist and journalist, reminiscing about the
bloomer movement of the 1850s; her extolling the bloomer as the
cleanest, neatest, most comfortable and most sensible garment
she had ever worn; and young women modelling different versions
of the dress. The following year, Annie Londonderry Cohen
Kopchovsky, donned the bloomer during her famous bicycle trip
around the world and an updated version of the bloomer soon

11
became the standard bicycle dress for women during the bicycle
craze of the 1890s.
Fighting Back
Now heres the thing: no one could stop them. Women werent
set to give up these new freedoms after finally ridding themselves
of the dreaded chaperone.
Annie Londonderry was an American mother of three who
decided to cycle around the world in fifteen months, setting off
from Boston in 1894, carrying only a change of clothes and a
pearl-handled revolver. Not only did she make full use of a
womans new found freedom of movement, she also did a lot to
change the public perception by becoming a bit of a celebrity.
Since then, theres been no stopping ladies from pedalling. In
fact, the act of cycling is still rather revolutionary. Cycling attracts
women of all different shapes, sizes, backgrounds, passions and
interests. You can enjoy being on your bike in a myriad of ways.
Cycling encourages women to step outside the traditional
gender roles that still exist in our enlightened world. It is not
quite the move from skirts to bloomers but women who cycle are
challenging the idea of femininity by partaking in a form of exercise
that is male-dominated.
This article was first published in: Frontier, Vol. 49, No. 35, Mar
5-11, 2017 as Bicycle Bicentenary Year 2017: Bicycle and Womens
Liberation.

12
 HISTORY OF WOMEN AND CYCLE IN INDIA
T. Vijayendra

Almost from the beginning, that is, from 1865 onwards, when the
Cranked two-wheeler or the Penny Farthing machine appeared,
women were riding bicycles both in Europe and in America. With
the arrival of the safety bicycle, it became extremely popular and
by 1980s, there was a bicycle craze. In 1894, Ann Londonderry
went round the world in 15 months. The New Woman had arrived,
with bloomers - the bicycle friendly dress.
Bicycle Arrives in India
Bicycles arrived in India by 1890s. In the 1890s, British
manufacturers such as BSA, Rudge and Raleigh started to export
bicycles to India. According to a book authored by David Arnold
and Erich DeWald, Cycles of Empowerment? The Bicycle and
Everyday Technology in Colonial India and Vietnam, around
35,000 bicycles were imported by India in 1910. By 1940, the
import amount had increased to 70,000 bicycles and in 1950s,
they recorded an import of 2, 00,000 bicycles.
By this time, India as a society was changing under the influence

13
of several European inventions. Smaller objects had already
become useful for completing everyday tasks, or for completing
them more efficiently. Not only were railways churning lives
around, smaller technologies like bicycles, sewing machines, and
typewriters were also changing the way we worked and conducted
our everyday lives.
At the end of the century, bicycle became an integral part of
the Indian middle class. Not only did the bicycle make people
more self-reliant but they lent the people a healthier image, one
that uplifted their social status as well.
So far, bicycles had only been the thing for Indian males. Some
even saw the bicycle as a tool to invigorate masculinity. Especially,
Bengali men, who were often stereotyped as being more
effeminate, started using cycling as a means to promote self-image
of being independent and more virile.

14
 For women, the bicycle also served a serious purpose. For the
first time, they could explore freedom by becoming more mobile,
even if it was within a limited region. Not only this, schoolgirls
and female college students gained access to educational
opportunities, especially in the cities. But, in the villages, cycling
was initially restricted to the male populace alone. Men deliberately
controlled bicycling to retain a womans physical and social
mobility.
Indian Women on Bicycles
The history of women on bicycle in India is not readily available.
We have to piece it together with other parallel movements and
make guesses most of the time. It is convenient to link it with
womens movement in general because everywhere in the world,
the cycle became symbolical with mobility and freedom, to say
nothing about the joy and empowerment it entailed.
1857-1977
The womens movement is often divided in three periods: liberal
feminism, radical feminism and separatist feminism. The trend
that comes after does not replace the earlier ones, but gets added
on and the movement as a whole becomes bigger. Thus today,
we have all the three versions rubbing shoulders together,
sometimes enriching and sometimes criticising each other.
Liberal feminism is often under the patronage of progressive
men and progressive movement. In India, it would mean roughly
from the late nineteenth century to 1977. It can be further divided
into four periods: the 19th century renaissance movement, the early
independence movement from 1905-1931, the radical
independence movement from 1931-1947 and the post-
independence energy of a newly independent country 1947-1977.
Early in the day, a few ladies cycles appeared in hill stations
where European women rode them. Later, progressive men and
women appeared in Calcutta, Bombay and Pune and a few ladies

15
cycles also began to make appearance. Parsis were particularly
interested in the art of cycling. In the 1920s, three young Parsis
from the Bombay Wrestling Club cycled around the world in an
epic four year journey. In the Parsi community also, the older
men started promoting bicycling amongst women because of their
concern for reproductive problems in males. So, in Bombay, Parsi
women were the first to ride the cycles.
The cycle really began to be seen everywhere from 1930
onwards. The two-wheeler soon found its way into most Indian
cities. The 1929 Great Depression gave rise to a worldwide anti-
colonial movement and to the appearance of the Communist and
Socialist movements. A whole new generation of progressive men
and women appeared on the scene and all of them were embracing
the cycle as a means of mobility and freedom. The cycle imports
were doubled to 70,000 cycles per year by 1940. The share of
ladies bicycle rose significantly.
From early 1950s to 1990s, there was a ban on importing
bicycles and Indian companies began to appear on the scene. Sen
Raleigh came up near Asansol in Bengal and Tube India (TI) or
BSA cycles appeared near Madras. Both were collaborations with
the British bicycle manufacturing companies. Both manufactured
ladies cycles from the beginning. Independence released a huge
energy and there was an increase of school and college going women
even in smaller cities. There was a boom in the sale of ladies cycles.
Often the first cycle in a home in Western India was a ladies bicycle
because both men and woman can ride on it.
1977-1990
Radical feminism in India dates from the post-emergency period
up to 1990 when the new policies of liberalism, privatisation and
globalisation began to hit all progressive movements. This was
politically a very active period for women. They were organising
rallies on dowries and other womens oppression issues. Some
were active in trade movements and womens wings of political

16
parties also renewed their energies. Women related NGOs too
proliferated and everywhere, these new women were seen on
bicycles, often travelling alone in remote villages.
By this time, the Indian bicycle industry was well established
with the 4 major players-BSA, Atlas, Hero and Avon, dominating
the scene. All of them produced ladies cycles and experienced
good growth. Almost every urban home in large parts of India
had a ladies bicycle.
1990-2017
The post-1990 period up to the present in India cannot be called
a separatist feminist movement, though there have been elements
of it. For the bicycle movement, it meant a large number of relatively
affluent women who could be on their own and who started using
high-end bicycles, taking part in rallies and long adventurous bicycle
trips. The dresses also changed radically. Most women cyclists have
been wearing bloomerssalwar kameez, pants, and in metro cities,
many wear shorts as well. In small towns, salwar kameez
predominates. School going girls wearing skirts or salwar kameez
on cycles can be seen everywhere in India. In the last few years,
tight pants have become fashionable even in small towns.
Concluding Remarks
In the recent times, there has been a decline in cycle sights in the
south and western regions of the country. The share of scooters,
motorcycles and cars is increasing. This is increasing congestion
on the roads and the resultant air pollution is creating health
problems. This in turn is giving rise to a new pro-cycle movement.
This has seen a big spurt this year partly due to the bicentenary of
the bicycle. Another reason is that awareness about global warming
and the end of fossil fuel era is increasing and is giving rise to a
further spurt in the demand of cycles. The production has gone
up to 18 million per year and two-thirds of that is still the ordinary
standard or roadster cycle for men and women. The future of the
cycle and womens liberation is bright.

17
 INDIAN WOMEN ON BICYCLE
In Life and in Cinema
Hema Vaishnavi

The early Indian bicycles were released in India by the Hendee

Mfg Co, who also had released the Indian Ladies Roadster Model
154, a light roadster variety bicycle specially designed for the ladies.
Undoubtedly, the first ladies in India to cycle were the English
ladies. The royal families and the zamindars who were close friends
with the British did cycle in their courtyards. Although the Hendee
154 was introduced on the Indian roads in 1920, the Indian takers
were mostly of the upper class families-the aristocrats, the kings or
the zamindars. For an ordinary woman of a lower class family,
cycling was almost unthinkable.
Women cycled in Calcutta, Bombay and Delhi, where the
British rule was prominent. The elites in these societies cycled to
colleges. Women of upper and the lower classes were
comparatively free from prejudices. It was the middle class that
was hardbound by these unbridled rules of the society and it were
the middle class women who struggled the most. Even though the
bicycle empowered them a great deal, getting on the bicycle was
a great struggle in itself.

18
 Kids from all kinds of backgrounds have this urge and
eagerness to cycle like a free bird. Usually girls who belonged to
the upper-class societies had the freedom to buy bicycles of their
choice, one, because they could afford them and two, because
they had the freedom to ride one without any criticism from the
society.
The girls belonging to the middle class families faced immense
criticism, yet most young girls during the 60s and 70s braved all
this and pedalled their way to emancipation. In joint families, the
first daughter or the eldest one often faced the most extreme and
harsh restrictions. It usually required a great deal of requesting,
pleading, and convincing everyone that its okay for a woman to
cycle. When a girl finally got a bicycle, learning it was another
hurdle. Some girls even had to go through some kind of
misbehaviour from their own relatives on the pretext of teaching
cycle lessons.
The second daughter found it rather easy to get her hands on
a bicycle but she too had to go through hassles to acquire and

19
learn how to ride one. Getting her hands on the cycle would
rather be a cake walk for the last daughter as she would be
supported by her empowered sisters. She would often find herself
flowing free on a bicycle at quite a young age. With or without
these familial struggles, the girl child almost always had to go
through various hurdles in the society.
Even about 40 years ago, in many towns and villages, even in
cities to a certain extent, the idea of a woman on bicycle was a
matter of jest. Many roadside Romeos often gathered at nukkads
(village crossroads) to make fun of the girl, eve tease her, use
abusive language directed towards her or just stare at her.
Commuting on bicycles for a woman was nothing less than a
nightmare. A woman on bicycle was looked at from a cheap angle.
The situation of course has improved but nevertheless, women
have faced this and it is a great deal. Some have even faced men
poking sticks at them, or people driving buffaloes on to them, or
harassing them while riding in parallel on motorbikes or bicycles.
Back in the day, the only agenda of the family of the girl child
was to get her married. A woman on a bicycle was looked at as a
masculine woman, saying how could a woman like her who roams
the street like a man be worthy of marriage or raise kids? Even
men were wary of such empowered and confident women.
Women have gone through such great obstacles and prejudices
to become empowered and liberated. Education to an extent has
given the liberty of thought to girls and their fathers to adopt the
bicycle on a large scale. Out of desperation, fathers who were
eager to send their daughters for higher education, let the daughters
get on the wheels. Even industrialization gave rise to women
adopting the bicycles. In industrial cities like Jamshedpur, women
of the working class first took to the bicycle, commuting to the
factories and breaking norms and prejudices with each ride.

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Pedalling towards Independence: Women Freedom
Fighters on Bicycle
The journey of women and bicycle in India isnt complete without
the stories of the brave Indian women who fought for the
independence.
Women who were involved in fighting used the bicycle to
interact with people, gather support and spread the spirit of the
movement. Women on bicycle were looked at as powerful ladies,
who had the ability to bring about awe in the eyes of the people.
Back in the day, the means of communication among the freedom
fighters was passing information by the word of mouth. Women
on bicycle were often messengers of numerous meetings, spreading
information about the on-going struggle and bringing about
supporters to the said location.
The cities of Calcutta, Lahore, Lucknow, Bombay, and to some
extent places in the south such as Madras and the state of
Hyderabad, which were either part of the freedom struggle or the
local struggles against the Nizams, saw freedom fighters use the
bicycle. And the women who used the bicycle were prominent
members of the struggles.
One among such women freedom fighters was Manmohini
Zutshi Sahgal. Sahgal was niece to Motilal Nehru, and she was,
therefore, Jawaharlal Nehrus first cousin once removed. As many
others in the family, she was an active participant in Indias struggle
for independence. A leader in student politics during her college
years, Sahgal followed her mother and sisters in brief prison terms
for demonstrating against the British Raj.
In her Biographical account, An Indian Freedom Fighter
Recalls Her Life, Manmohini Zutshi recollects moments on the
bicycle. Manmohini was the third of four daughters born to Ladli
Prasad and Lado Rani Zutshi. In 1910, after the first child was
born, they moved to their own house in Allahabad. Like other
progressive women of the era, Lado Rani had been encouraged

21
to join the ladies club for companionship, discussion of public
issues, and philanthropic activities. From their new home Lado
Rani set up both a ladies club and a girls club, engaged a music
teacher for her daughters, learned to ride a bicycle, and genuinely
enjoyed her new experiments with personal freedom.
In another chapter on her mother and her family, she recollects
instances about her mother cycled exactly a century ago from
today. My mother, Lado Rani Zutshi, settled in Lahore in 1917 to
educate her daughters. She had a great deal of influence on me,
and as I grew older I assisted her in many projects. As soon as she
was settled in Lahore she joined the YWCA to continue her English
and piano lessons. In the evenings she bicycled to her classes. No
other Indian lady of her status in Lahore had the courage to do
this. The only concession she made to societys rules was to have
her own servant running behind her bicycle so that in case of
accident she would not have to ask for help for a stranger; her
servant would be there to help her. Fortunately for all concerned,
such an occasion never arose.
Women on Bicycle in Indian Cinema
To a great extent, Indian movies have tried to emulate the Indian
society but film industry as such has had huge impact on the lives
of people and influenced people in numerous ways.

22
 With the coming of the talkies into India, films were mostly
based on mythological stories or the epics of Ramayana and
Mahabharata. After a few years of such movies, film makers started
foraying into different concepts that would attract the common
man. Realistic movies were started to be made by incorporating
different elements of the daily lives of the rural and urban people
alike. Bicycle was common to both the urban and rural set-ups.
In the beginning, the women from elite classes in Calcutta,
Bombay and Delhi, cycled to colleges and the same started to be
depicted in the Indian cinema. The bicycle was incorporated in
the films to bring about a sense of relation with real life. The
connect factor was brought in by the heroes using the bicycles to
run their daily errands but showing women on bicycles was a
revolutionary concept, and people watched these movies with
much awe and enthusiasm.
Women were shown to own cycles-especially the college girls
as heroines were seen commuting to their colleges. The first film
that depicted this was Khazanchi of 1941, where the leading lady,
Ramola Devi, is seen riding a bicycle along with her friends in the
song, Sawan Ke Nazare Hai. A few other early popular songs
that showed women on bicycle were Inse Rippy Tippy Ho Gayi
from the movie, Agra Road of 1957, featuring Vijay Anand and
Shakila; Chale Bajaate Seeti from Zamana (1957), and Panchhi
Dekhi Ye Phulwari of Jaldeep (1956).
It had become a norm to show cycles in movies and that set a
trend for the next few decades or so where the leading ladies of
prominent movies were shown going about their business in the
fancy cycles of the day. Nutan was seen on a bicycle in a bunch of
movies, including Paying Guest of 1957, in the song Mana Janab
Ne Pukara Nahi.
This trend continued and gave rise to numerous other songs
featuring school girls, college girls and women of all ages riding
the bicycle. The trend went on for a couple of decades or so

23
before they were soon replaced by motorcycles and cars.
Nevertheless, the portrayal of the bicycle in the Hindi cinemas
influenced other film industries to take up the bicycle as a symbol
of womens liberty and empowerment.
In the south, movies with Vaijayanthimala on the bicycle, often
made the parts of a movie where freedom movements were
depicted. The two famous songs that were written on the bicycle
and also featured women on a bicycle -Cycle Varudhu Cycle
Varudhu from the movie Neelavukku Neranja Manasu of 1958
and Cycle vandi from the movie Chitthi. Cycle Varudhu Cycle
Varudhu features Pandari Bai on the bicycle along with the lead
T. R. Ramachandran, singing an elaborate praise for the cycle.
Today, a woman on bicycle is rarely seen in movies but for a
couple of films. The most recent film where a woman was shown
on a bicycle was Dear Zindagi, where Alia Bhatt plays the character
of a native girl from Goa. Goa being a place where bicycles are
used in abundance, for commuting, became an apt setting for the
portrayal of a bicycle.
Hema lives in Hyderabad. She can be contacted at:
vaishnavi.hema@gmail.com and on phone at +91 81244 70783

24
Experiences of Women and Cycle

THE FORBIDDEN EXPERIENCE

Sarojini Dhara

It was in the early 40s that I got my hands on a bicycle. You

didnt have any of these fancy bicycles for ladies back in the day.
The only kind that was in use was the milkmans bicycle, the
standard roadster, and everyone used it, regardless of their age or
gender. While it took a few years for women to be seen with these
roadsters on the roads, men on roadsters were ubiquitous.
I was born and brought up in the Guntur district of Andhra
Pradesh, and got married at the tender age of ten years. My elder
sister, who was elder to me by a few years, got married at about
the same age as well. I was the lucky one among the two of us,
who got the chance to ride the bicycle.
My parents-in-law, who were of the modern mind-set, didnt
mind me learning the bicycle. One of the boys, who was a relative,
taught me how to ride the bicycle. I asked him if he could teach
me and he happily obliged.
Riding the bicycle was completely forbidden for girls back in
the day. One could never be seen riding a bicycle on the roads,
for it would start off a rumour mill about the girl being involved in

25
all kinds of wrong. At the same time, it was totally acceptable for
a woman or a girl to be seated on the carrier with a man riding the
bicycle. What days those were!
It took me about a week or so to get the balance of the bicycle.
Considering that all of us wore sarees then, I learnt how to ride
the bicycle quicker than Id anticipated. I used to ride for an hour
or so in the afternoons when people didnt have the chance to see
me learning how to ride. I couldnt risk being seen by people but
I always looked forward to that one hour of cycling and the pure
joy it filled me with. Taking charge of the handle and manoeuvring
about gave me a sense of freedom and I somehow felt in-charge
of things. Now, this was only possible because my parents-in-law
were progressive to think that a woman should be allowed to
learn things just like any man. Even they had to bow to the societal
pressure and I had to stick to riding the bicycle in my veranda.
My elder sister, who got married in a different household,
wasnt fortunate to experience what I could. Her parents-in-law
were rather orthodox and did not like the women of the household
to learn or get into anything that was questionable by the society.
On my trips to the market, I did come across this young woman
in her early 20s, who used the bicycle to commute on the roads
of the town. While most people in the town branded her a rebel
and often called her a woman with loose moral standards, I had
nothing but deep admiration for her. She not only used the bicycle
to run her daily errands but she went to the nearby college using
the bicycle. She was the only one who owned a bicycle in the
college.
Soon after, my family and I moved base to Bombay on account
of my husbands job. While my bicycle days ended with the rides
in the veranda, I did long to ride the bicycle many a times.
Sarojini Dhara is a 90-year-old-woman residing in Hyderabad. She
can be reached through her son, Sagar Dhara:
sagdhara@gmail.com

26
 A FRIEND FOR ALL SEASONS
Maya Sharma

My daughter Jayas friend, Shailaja, knows the importance of cycle

in my life. When she came to know about a collection of writings
about women and cycle on the completion of two hundred years
of its invention, she shared it with Jaya and the news reached me.
I went down my memory lane back to 1948. I am 82 years old
now. The sheer excitement of cycle! Loads of memories from
more than 60 years ago ran an electric current under my feet.
I was number seven amongst the ten brothers and sisters of
the Sharma family of Colvin Taluqdars College, Lucknow. My
four older brothers asserted their exclusive right on the cycle.
Hence, it was very difficult to request them for it, let alone asking
them to teach but I did not give up so easily. After a lot of coaxing
and persistence, I got permission to ride the cycle. I needed a
teacher now.
My father was the warden of Junior Hostel of the college. Mrs.
Jordan was one of his colleagues. Her sisters daughter Vinita was
visiting during the December vacation. She was a keen cyclist

27
and had mastered the speed as well. She was the inspiration I
needed to translate my wish into action. After a lot of pleading, I
got the cycle from my elder brother Prem Kumar. Vinita
cooperated in teaching me. We also decided on a time slot between
4 and 5 in the evening. It was as if I had found my medium. In a
few hours, I got the courage to sit on the carrier and pedal. In the
next two or three days, I learnt to balance the cycle without falling
down or getting hurt. My brother Prem appreciated me a lot. He
also advised that if want to take the cycle on the road, I will have
to learn to ride the cycle by sitting on the saddle and not on the
carrier. At that time I could not ride sitting on the saddle. I used
to jump from the carrier on to the saddle and therefore I did not
get the permission to take the cycle on the road.
When I was in class eight, I had to go to Ameenabad Park to
collect my certificate for the Shishu Sanskrit examination. I wanted
to be accompanied by my new achievement the cycle! My
brother said, You can take it on one condition. You will have to
sit on the cycle from the front. It was a tough condition but my

28
wish to take the cycle was stronger. So I said yes and the journey
began. On the Kesarbag to Nazeerabad road, there was a big
crowd and my heart went pit-a-pat but I took courage and sat on
the gents cycle by taking my legs over the front bar. My brother
was riding along and he was very pleased.
On getting good marks in the tenth class examination, I got a
ladies cycle as a prize. My happiness knew no bounds. Now, I
had my own cycle! There were no more barriers between me and
my cycle. I used to take my younger sister and friend Vidya Shah
on the carrier for a ride. Whether the sun was bright and strong or
whether there was a heavy downpour, I enjoyed riding my cycle
in all seasons. I felt proud in running errands for my Amma and
helping her.
When I went to study at I.T. College (Isabella Thoburn
College), I had to climb the steep hill of Christian College Golagunj.
When riding on the steep hill, the cycle used to slip back but I
used to keep on climbing. Once, when I bent down to straighten
my sari, one of my long plaits of hair got stuck in the back wheel.
With great difficulty and with the help of a pedestrian, I had to cut
it and then my cycle went forward. Even then my love for the
cycle did not diminish.
Once my brothers friends wife came to our house. I took her
around on my cycle for two days and we went to Lucknow
University, Chhatar Manjil, Bada Imambada and Chhota
Imambada.
Cycle has been a loyal companion. It has given me confidence,
balance, joy, made me active and has inspired me to do my best
in whatever is entrusted in me. To this day, I work with this
confidence and positive attitude. There is nothing called as fear
in me. Even now I feel like cycling but the fear of age puts a
break to that desire.

29
 Our life is like a revolving wheel of the cycle. Within it, the
experience and learning of the past, activity of the present and
dreams for future amalgamate continuously. Along with pleasure,
cycle gives us the confidence, balance and inspiration to reach
our goals. If we draw these lessons from the cycle and take decisions
about our life; then our path can become very clear.
Maya Sharma (82) lives in Delhi. She is a political scientist and
teacher by training. Several years after retiring as a school teacher
in 1997, she continues to teach by inspiring young and old around
her to believe in themselves, stand up for their beliefs, be there
for one another and not stop before the stop line, a line that moves
a little farther each time, she reaches it! She can be contacted at
+91-9899101404 and her daughters email id:
jaya.preeti@gmail.com

30
 MY BICYCLE AND ME
Sujata Rao

I lived in Indore with my parents, two brothers and two sisters. We

are from Karnataka and our father, T. Bheemacharya had a job in
Indore and so, we became Indorians. We lived in a locality called
Harsiddhi with a big maidan (playground) in front of our house.
My elder sister, Usha, and I learnt to ride a cycle at the age of
around 8-10 years. Our elder brother, Raghavendra, taught us
how to ride a bicycle. Once we were seated on the bicycle, he
held the handle and walked with us and after some time took his
hands off to let us ride on our own. We fell numerous times but in
the end, we somehow learnt to ride the bicycle.
At that time, we did not own a bicycle. One could rent a bicycle
for an anna (1/16th of a rupee) or two an hour. I remember, we
used to beg our mother and ask for an anna or two so that we
could rent one cycle for a couple of hours. Amma used to say
Where is the need to learn cycle for you girls? But at the time,
we were possessed with the idea of learning to ride the cycle. The
persistence and the annas from Amma paid off later in life.

31
 My sister was two years elder to me but both of us were studying
in the same class. Whatever we learned, we did it together. We
used to go to school by the school bus until class 12. My sister got
married after matric (10th class) but my brother-in-law, Shree
Sureshchandra Moyde wanted her to pursue B. A. (Bachelor of
Arts). So my sister studied even after getting married and finished
her B. A.
In my time, which is in 1955, there were no classes for the B.
A. course at the girls college so I had to go to another college in
which boys and girls studied together. I began to go to the Holkar
College which was quite far from our home. First, I used to go by
the city bus which I had to catch near Rajwada, which nearly cost
me 6 annas daily. In those days even 6 annas seemed very
expensive.

32
 I thought of commuting by bicycle and there was a discussion
at home about this. My brother-in-law, who was in Indore for
some work and was home that time, heard our discussion. He
bought me a ladies cycle the next day and said, Here is your
cycle, Saroj. We were all stunned and I was very happy.
Now the problem was that whether or not I would be able to
ride after so many days. I gathered all my courage, took a deep
breath of much needed strength and rode to college on the first
day and every day for the rest of my college days. I even found a
friend who learned to ride the cycle around the same time. She
and I went to college together.
From 1953 to 1956, I cycled regularly. Once, on a college
examination day, my friends cycle got punctured on the way.
There was a cycle shop on the road where we could rent a bicycle
and pay the money later. She said I wont be able to ride a different
cycle. I said I will take that and you ride my cycle. Somehow, we
reached the college in time and the examination went alright.
After finishing B. A., I left the college. After a month, I felt I
should do my M. A. I wanted to do it in Political Science. Since
Holkar College did not have this subject, I had to go to Christian
College, which was close by to Holkar. I commuted by myself.
Once, on the way to college, my tyre lost air. I thought it had
developed a puncture but it was due to a tear in the valve tube. At
the same time, my brothers friend was passing by on the road.
He stopped for me and came to a nearby cycle shop with me. He
got my cycle repaired. I did not have any money, so he paid and
I reached the college in time.
Once when I was going to the college, a tonga (horse-driven
carriage as public transport) was coming towards me and the horse
suddenly turned out of control. I saw it from a distance and got
down the cycle. However, while moving the cycle to the road
side, the tonga came upon me. The cycle slipped out of my hand
and hit the tonga and broke down. I was frightened. A classmate

33
of mine was also on his way to college and he had seen me. He
helped me to lift the cycle and told the tongawalla to get the cycle
repaired. He put the cycle in the tonga and gave it to the cycle
shop for repairs. We reached college on foot. On our way back,
we got my cycle from the shop and came back home. Like this,
every time something incredible happened or I met someone who
helped me out. I am grateful to all of them.
I got married in 1962 and began to live in Jamshedpur. My
name also changed to Sujata Rao. In Jamshedpur, I rode the cycle
only once.
Recently, I visited my youngest son in America and I rode a
cycle once in the garden. At that time, I was about 70 years old.
Now, at 78, even though it is not possible, I still have the desire to
ride a cycle.
Sujata Rao (78) grew in Indore and lives in Jamshedpur. She is a
mother of three boys and grandmother of seven children. She is a
Hindi author and a translator from Kannada to Hindi. She rode a
Sen Raleigh ladies bicycle wearing a sari in late 50s and early 60s.
She can be contacted through her daughter-in-law Ujwala at:
akujwala@gmail.com

34
 CHILDHOOD DAYS
Basanti Sahu

Innocent childhood and its lovely desires! Pleadings to fulfil those

desires and the happiness one gets after getting those desires
fulfilled is a feeling as though one has got all the riches of the
world. Riding a cycle is also one of those desires, which in the
long list of lifes experiences has an important place.
My minds flight takes me to those lanes of my childhood.
Sitting on my small cycle and with friends of my age, my brothers
and sisters, I was living a care-free life filled with self-confidence.
It was not like the present hurriedness of life or the polluted
environment that surrounds us now. We did not care about better
health-just riding a cycle had a pleasure that was totally different.
Every street and locality used have a cycle shop. We used to wait
for hours for our turn for these cycles that were available for 10
paise per hour in the shops that rented out the cycles. The shop
owner was Mahadev Chaurasia, whom we children used to call
Bachhu Babu. The moment he would give us our favourite cycle,
we used to feel so grand and proud as if we were riding an
aeroplane and not a cycle. Sometimes kainchi (putting one leg

35
through below the bar in a gents cycle) and sometimes leaving
one hand off the handle, we used to try different tricks on our
cycle rides.
The trouble many times was that the cycle chain would come
off again and again and half the time was spent in putting it back.
Sometimes, the cycle would develop a puncture and we children
would drag it till the shop, thereby spending the limited money
we had and wasting some time. Such events did come in way of
our pleasure of riding the cycle.
Our neighbourhood uncle, Chachaji, used to put a steel ring
on the ends of his pyjamas on his ankles so that the pyjamas do
not get stuck in the cycle while riding. In those days, girls used to
wear lehanga and blouse. One day, I put a ring on my lehanga so
that the lehanga would not get stuck in the cycle. The moment I
put my leg on the other side of the cycle, I fell down along with
the cycle, bruised my hand and feet and the lehanga also got
torn. I was sorrier for tearing the lehanga than for the bruises.
Every day there were new stories attached to the cycle rides.

36
 When we grew up a little, we wanted to ride a bigger cycle.
Whenever we found a cycle at home, we would quietly take it out
for a ride and then keep it back safely.
Since the girls were given household work, the time theyd
grown up, most families inisisted a ban on riding the cycle, as did
mine. It then became very difficult to ask for a cycle for oneself.
We had a blue coloured cycle that belonged to our younger
brother which we all used to ride carefully and keep it shining
clean. I used that cycle for the entire duration of my high school
education. The two wheeler era started. I got a chance to ride
the Luna and then the Kinetic. I was a confident rider because I
rode the cycle for most of my childhood years. So for many years,
I rode these vehicles safely without any accidents. Today not only
adults but even children have four-wheelers vehicles. Everyone
has become busy.
Four-wheeler vehicles have become a demand for these times.
On my way to the hospital now, I see only one or two cycles.
Watching through my car window, I often think about the
difference between the happiness of riding a cycle in my childhood
and that of these cycle riders who are pulling their cycles in the
hot sun due to compulsion. Drivers of most big vehicles curse the
cycle riders because they find them so slow or that they come in
front of their vehicles.
The story that began in the decade of 60s is entering the sixth
decade of my life. I have decided that I will ride a cycle again.
May be I will get the confidence to participate in a cycle race.
In modern times, there are a thousand channels on the
television. The hope of going to the moon has come nearer. With
one click, we get all the information but like all skills in life, we
still have to learn to ride the cycle ourselves even if our knees get
bruised. Perhaps life wants to teach us that without jumping into
doing it, real things cannot be learned. It is necessary to learn to

37
ride a cycle in a thousand different ways in ones life so that life
can move smoothly.
Dr. Basanti Sahu (61), M.S. (Obs. & Gynae.), is working with the
Madhya Pradesh government since over three decades. As a young
girl, she commuted to her school on foot, on her cycle or on a
boat. When not practising as a doctor, she can be heard reciting
old and rare poems of forgotten poets or experimenting with
ingredients in the kitchen to bring out great surprises. She maintains
a secret diary of her personal poetry. She can be contacted at:
drbsahu@gmail.com

38
 CYCLE, MY DEAR FRIEND
Jyoti Thacker

Cycle has been a part of my life as a dear friend in more ways

than one. As a child, while trying to learn to ride the cycle to fulfil
my hobby, I fell down once and got badly hurt. Seeing the scar of
that accident brings a smile to my face even today. When I took
an admission into college to pursue an M.A. in Economics, my
hobby became a necessity. Riding on the cycle as I spoke to the
winds and reaching my college in time used to fill my heart with
pleasure and satisfaction.
In 1993, life took an unexpected turn and I happened to migrate
to a post-war Kuwait, with my husband and two daughters. There
were not many things women could do independently there.
Cycling seemed out of question. I joined a group of Indian women,
who used to study the Bhagwat Gita and other epics and teach
young Indian children. I soon became one of the teachers. There
used to be an evening class once a week in one of the homes. In
every class, we used to read out anecdotes from one of these old
epics, to illustrate analogies with current life and communicate
some important life lessons. I used to prepare my talk some days

39
in advance and I found myself deriving an increasing number of
analogies with the cycle, in my talks. By using the example of a
cycle, it was always easy to explain to the children and yet so
exact in conveying what I wanted to. I discovered there was so
much to the cycle itself.
As far as I understand, cycle teaches us the art of life. Life is
another name for balance. Similarly, cycle is always in control
only when we keep balance. The wheels of a cycle appear to me
as the cycle of life. As life means to move and evolve, cycle also
moves forward only when we make an effort. It teaches us this
simple formula of life and teaches us self-reliance. The simplicity
of the cycle is worth understanding. With a little maintenance, it
runs happily. Similarly and if we like, we can live happily with
limited needs. If one gets companionship of the cycle and if they
see the message it brings along with it, they can be released of the
shackles as they move freely with it to just ride and ride on with it.
Jyoti Thacker (60) has lived in the Malwa region of Madhya
Pradesh, Kuwait, Hyderabad and Mumbai. She is an artist, a
naturopath and a level-3 Reiki practitioner. She has adopted a
variety of street animals since her childhood and has rekindled
the habit in her two daughters. She is currently a student of
Landscape painting at Sir J. J. School of Arts, Mumbai. She can
be contacted on +919619815211

40
 PARTNERS IN BOREDOM
Ujwala Asundi Kumar

As a teenager in the middle with an older brother and a baby

sister, I was often a misfit when it came to a friends group. My
brother had his gang of boys who lived in the apartment blocks
adjacent ours and my younger sister had her band of little buddies.
Girls my age too lived in homes around ours but somehow the
girls in these apartments never wanted to come out to play in the
evenings. They would often invite me over to knitting or crochet
sessions, accompanied by sliced cake and doll house decorations.
The free spirit in me yearned for something more active and
exciting.
In my younger years, I was the de-facto goal keeper, wicket
keeper, boundary fielder in all the games that my brother kindly
allowed me to go play with him and his friends. As we grew older,
realization probably dawned on them that I was a girl and not
meant to be a part of their games. Hence, I was unceremoniously
dropped from all athletic or team sport events and had to settle
for needlework and talk about shopping for the best craft items.

41
 My mind cringed and I ached for an activity that would be
more meaningful for me. Very soon after, my father purchased a
shiny maroon-red bicycle. It was a super exciting event. All those
trial sessions on a rented man-size bicycle that Id had on my trips
to my native village of Gadag, Karnataka, seemed to be finally
paying off. I asked Daddy and he readily agreed to let me ride the
bicycle around in our apartments compound. Oh what a privilege
it was! It meant so much that I thought nothing about hauling the
bicycle up and down two floors on my shoulders every evening.
We lived on the second floor.
I would get on the cycle and then would begin an endless
series of conversations with the wind. I would plan the next days
activities at school when sitting plush on the saddle and
manoeuvring a tricky turn. I would imagine story plots for plays
that I wanted to act in. I would rehearse what to say to the school
friend who had borrowed my favourite book and had forgotten
to return it. My bicycle was my constant companion who listened
to me without judgement or comment. The wind in my hair when
I took every turn, the buzz of the chain when I sped up the pedals,
the sweet but urgent sound of the bell, are all forever embedded
in my memory. The sight of a bicycle now brings those memories
back and a ride once in a while gets me connected back to my
silent partner who never let me suffer from boredom. I was alone
but never lonely, thanks to my bike buddy!
Ujwala Asundi Kumar (44) is an MBA in marketing management
from Mumbai. She moved to Jamshedpur 18 years ago. Currently
she works with an internet start-up-Scra2ch Media (Pronounced
as scratch media) - as Head - Partnerships and Strategy. She is a
mother to three daughters, a theatre enthusiast and has conducted
theatre workshops for children and adults, and produced &
directed stage performances. She believes in living life with a
balance of enjoyment and spirituality. She can be contacted at:
akujwala@gmail.com

42
 A SIX KILOMETRE WALK
Shamala Kittane

A six kilometre walk can be so boring only when you are anxious
to get to your destination. But never was destination my objective,
I just enjoyed the everyday morning walk to work, the slow piling
up of traffic. This was in 2004 and traffic pile up was indeed slow.
The traffic in Bangalore was in its infancy stages and who knew
then that it was going to grow into an ugly monster.
The mute yet wise spectators-the rain trees in the NIMHANS
campus, the roadside vendors, were my muse. It would take a
medium paced (and lost at random occasions) person like myself
a good hour to reach office. I would have the walk stories to
share with friends at work right at the start of the day.
The decision to walk to work just had to be. I liked to walk
and enjoyed to watch the dogs on the roads go about their
busyness-either they slept or hurriedly ran to save the world.
It was my mothers suggestion that I buy a two-wheeler instead
of walking to work every day to get me faster to work and back
home earlier too. It wasnt a bad idea so I went and bought myself

43
a bike, a red Hero Buzz. I bought this on the streets of Commercial
Street. I chose the rather glam location against the suggested
Chikpet market (by an uncle), because it was also my first date
with a colleague at work. So we bought the bike and to appear
cooler to my date, I even asked the bicycle shop owner to throw
in some gears on to my jazzy red bike. We pushed the bike to the
nearby Cariappa Memorial Park, rode a little and worked together
to put the fallen chain back onto the bike. By the end of the
evening, I was in love, in love with my red bike. Im not even sure
how my date went but we parted that very evening.
The next day, my bike was the talk at the office. Everybody
was appreciative of me riding and braving the traffic. Really, it
wasnt half as bad as it is now to ride on a bicycle in Bangalore.
They all seemed to oh-so-want-to cycle down too. While it was
encouraging, nobody ever did.

44
 Bicycles are such conversation starters. Being one of the first
few to ride a bicycle to an IT company, I was pretty much the talk
of the townwell, only within my family circles and they all seemed
to be on my side and cheered me on. I enjoyed the ride and
loved the good attention. Whenever I stopped to buy something
on the road, the crowd around and the vendors used to be super
impressed with me and my bike. Soon, traffic in Bangalore started
to become gnarly, while there were many people hopping on to
the fun bike, many more were deterred by the traffic.
By now, I had several bicycle friends who had started biking
around the same time as me or earlier. We were turning out to be
quite a group now. A good friend in the group said I could do
with a better bike and he introduced me to the world of beautiful,
lightweight imported bikes. I was awed and wanted to own them
all. I did not buy any for a while since there were just too many
options and it was confusing for someone who thought the red
bike with gears was the best buzz. I eventually decided to just
walk into this popular imported bicycle shop and pick up an
imported bicycle-Schwinn Mesa, my second long term companion.
It was an attractive red, white and black sporty looking MTB with
8 gears and disc brakes. I now owned something precious, too
precious to allow me to sleep in peace. I painted her black. It was
a crude job but done with love. I was sure no one would now
steal it. So, mission accomplished! Everybody else around me
was in shock because it was only the second day of the bright
shiny bike which was now a matte patchy black. She rode just
fine nevertheless. This bike took me around-rebelled one ways
and traffic signals, hopped onto footpaths, weaved through heavy
traffic, swore at lousy honking car people and just made people
around wonder at the sheer madness of bicycling through the
now infamous Bangalore traffic.
By this time, I was mad enough to have quit my IT job, to
walk into a bicycle shop and very reluctantly ask to be a mechanic

45
at the shop. BOTS (Bums On The Saddle) was open to it and
thus started my on-job training as a mechanic. I worked as a
mechanic for close to a year. I went on to complete my
understanding of bikes by learning how to build one at CAT
(Centre for Appropriate Transport, Eugene, Oregon, USA). It is
quite an experience to work in a shop filled with machines (lathe,
vertical and horizontal drills, sanders, CAD and CAM, TIG
welders) where you can build your own bike.
I returned to India and worked as a wheel builder for a while.
Being a staunch engineer who liked to work in the background, I
didnt explore starting a workshop of my own. If you like to build
bikes and have learnt to do so, you should just start a workshop
where you can handcraft beautiful bikes. I settled down to focus
on my other interests of research and writing. I worked as a
researcher in an organisation in Bangalore for about 11 months.
Happy Earth Enterprises, for whom I built wheels, is also the
amazing bicycle distributor shop where I bought the greatest steel
bike in my opinion and heart-The Surly Straggler. I am a
commuter, biker and will always be.
Shamala lives in Bangalore. She can be contacted at:
shamalakittane@gmail.com

46
 MY CYCLE AND ME
Aditi Joshi Sharma

There are some memories that tell us about the most beautiful
times of our lives. Refreshing these memories, I, Aditi Sharma
(who used to be Aditi Joshi) am going to share some experiences.
When I rode the cycle, I never realised what I got out of it but
today when I think about it, I feel as if those were the golden
days.
My First Cycle, 1993
In those days, we lived in Khargone, a small town in the Nimar
region of Madhya Pradesh. I got my first cycle when I was about
eight or nine years old. My maternal cousins cycle was specially
being brought for me to use. He was several years elder to me
and had used the cycle for years. He was now going to buy a new
cycle and so he gave me his old one. I felt great that day. The
cycle was brought in a Jeep. It was a very beautiful cycle. My
Papa used to teach me how to ride it. In those days, perhaps
cycles with support wheels rarely came by. After learning to ride
that cycle, I used to go with my elder brother and his friends, who

47
already had their cycles, to do the rounds on the cycle. I had
become free. I did not have to sit behind my brother. I got used
to go riding on my cycle. We had a group of 5-6 people who were
in the age group of 10-15 years. We all used to go on our cycles to
do the rounds. Many times, I used to sit with my brother on that
small cycle on the carrier seat and ride along. We used to have
great fun.
My Second Cycle
When I rode my first cycle so much that it was no longer fit for
repairs, I got a chance to get a brand new cycle. When I reached
class four, I got a new cycle. It was an Atlas cycle. I called her
Kadambini. I liked that name. My Papa used to come with me
till the school, with him on his scooter and me on my cycle. He
did it for 3-4 months. When he was convinced that I could ride on
my own, I began to ride alone to school or with my friends
sometimes. All the dangerous stunts had been executed on my
cycle by my brother and me. This was our favourite time pass
during those days. Well, where was the time to get bored? When
we used to be away during the summer vacations, we used to
leave our cycles with some relatives.
Once we went to Indore to stay with my maternal uncle. There
were four of us, children, and only two cycles. We used to ride
the cycles taking turns. Truly, that phase of childhood was a
glorious one. Like this, time and years went by.
My Third Cycle
Probably, everybody from that era will recognise the name, BSA
Lady Bird-specially designed for ladies and very beautiful and
attractive. This was my third cycle. I got it in my seventh standard.
By that time, all my girl friends had a cycle. I used to go to the
school and for my tuitions on my cycle. I also used to do some
more work on my own like going to the vegetable market. Truly,
like time, I also used to fly on my Lady Bird. My brother did not

48
borrow that cycle because of its name. Lady Bird stayed with me
for a long time. I took it to Indore during 200304. We took it by
putting it on top of a bus. Then, I was preparing for Medical
Entrance Examinations and I used my cycle to go for coaching
classes. I got an admission, I moved to Indore and my cycle stayed
back in Khargone. That was my last cycle. By now, my mother
perhaps has given it away to someone who needed it more. I
never rode a cycle after that but yes, I have never felt as free with
a two-wheeler or a four-wheeler as I did with my cycle.
I can definitely say that from my childhood years to when I
reached college, the cycle played an important role. With my
cycle, I felt independent. I was free to come and go anywhere and
more than anything else, it gave me those glorious experiences
that cannot be forgotten. The memories that I have with my brother
and friends with the cycle are beautiful and heart-warming. My
Papa, who himself is a cycle lover, taught me the maintenance of
a cycle. From time to time, he taught me the rules of how to look
after it and he enlightened me with the knowledge on health
benefits of cycling.
I dont have a cycle today but I will definitely get one and
spend some time with it with the same enthusiasm once again.
Aditi Joshi Sharma is physiotherapist with, Impact Physiotherapy,
Bangalore. She can be contacted at: aditi.joshi1302@gmail.com
or on +91 9740874883

49
 THE PALWA SUPERFAST
Divya Palwa

5.14 am. Still a minute left for the alarm to go off but I was up. It
was the first day of my new found independence after all. Anay is
now two and a half years old and it is time for a fresh start. Despite
my first time alone on Bangalore roads and while it was still dark,
I ignited the engine of my friends bike beaming with a big smile
and armed with confidence on my riding skills. I thanked the
only cycle I had in the past. If not for her, I could never have
learnt to ride a bike. I rode off to my yoga training centre as my
family was still in deep slumber.
I was around ten years old when I got my first cycle. We lived
in a small town called Nagda in Madhya Pradesh. I accompanied
my father to the nearest city, Ujjain, to buy my cycle. So excited
was I that on our way back on the train, I made sure all the people
seated or sleeping in my bay and the adjacent bays of my
compartment, had seen this most beautiful new white bicycle.
My beautiful new bike with two extra supporting wheels was
the next best thing that had happened to me after my little sister.

50
It just flew when on road and with it, I flew. Together we rode
around the town, singing, every single day and completed several
projects, like learning all the routes within the permitted limits,
sneaking out to a nearby village, learning routes to houses of
everyone I knew in town (even if they didnt know me, my school
principal, for example). Oh, we did so much together, me and
my Palwa Superfast. That was her name. She had to have my
surname. She was like my sister after all. She was my family
member and I took care of her. I would give her a bath and

51
always wanted to dress her up but if only I could. She had come
with extra wheels so that it became easier for me to learn to ride
and get less hurt in the process. The extra wheels were taken out
in matter of two weeks. I can never forget the joy I had felt when
I looked back while riding, to realise that I am riding without the
support of the extra wheels. I did not return home for many hours
after that. For days, I would come back in the evenings with legs
soiled and bloodied but with a big smile on my face. It never hurt
me somehow.
I once wanted to make a house in our lawn and I had a plan.
I made trips to a construction site near my fathers plant, picked
up one brick at a time, fastened it on to my cycles carrier and
rushed back to my lawn. I managed to pile up over a hundred
bricks, I remember. I stopped when my mother berated me for
piling up so many bricks in the lawn. But these would be just
enough for the house I want to make, I thought. I constructed a
house with many bedrooms and bathrooms with two to three
layers of brick thickness to each of its wall. I still remember that
house. One could simply jump from one room to the other.
It was hardly six months with Palwa Superfast when I was told
that we were moving out of the country and that I have to let go
off my white baby sister. They gave it for free to one of the helpers
children. I felt those kids were very lucky for I never got a cycle
again in the country I moved to.
As I write this, I cant help but wonder if my Palwa Superfast is
still flying out there somewhere.
Divya lives in Bangalore. An ex-banker, she is now mostly found
ruminating and enjoying the stillness of her home, practising yoga
and meditation, making plans to learn languages, dance, music
and owning a cycle again. A wanderer by spirit, Divya still chooses
to bathe herself in fresh air when she seeks to find her centre. She
can be contacted at: divya.palwa@gmail.com

52
BENGALURU TO HYDERABAD ON A BICYCLE
Indira Penubolu

Cycling to me has only been recently rediscovered. As a child, I

used to enjoy cycling around my colony but the major chunk of
cycling was in Germany. I was a 17 year old youth exchange
student. Cycling was my only form of commute to work and back
in the quaint hilly city of Wasserburg that lay close to the Bavarian
Alps. A fancy, geared Peugot bicycle was lent to me by my host
family. Through thick and thin, rain, cold and snow, my bicycle
was my best friend over all the steep climbs and ecstatic downhills.
Later, during college years in India, I used to commute through
the thickest of traffic on my regular gearless Hero cycle. It was a
rewarding feeling to watch so many stunned faces as I criss-crossed
my way through standstill traffic. My teachers were impressed
with my hard work.
Almost 10 years later, the year 2015 really redefined my stint
with cycling. I bought a second-hand geared Schwinn Hybrid in
January and I started to ride it around Tank Bund in Hyderabad.
I used to ride a minimum of 20 km a day and then moved on to

53
cycling up to Tumkunta for idlis in the mornings. My first 100
came as a real surprise when I cycled to Warangal in the hot
month of March, barely two and a half months after I had
rediscovered my love for cycling. From then onwards, there was
no looking back. I did many a 100 km rides to Narsapur, to
Yadigirigutta, and even attempted but DNF (did not finish) a 200
km Brevet, an unguided unsupported ride with a time limit of
13.5 hours, to Ananthgiri hills.
The highlight of all of my cycling escapades so far was the
three and a quarter days of cycling from Bengaluru to Hyderabad.
There was a non-stop dose of adrenaline boost and the feat left us
with a lifetime of memories. It took me a lot of practice and will
power to pull this one off. The motivating factor was also to raise
funds for physically disabled sports persons.
We started as early as 4.30 am from Border Security Force
(BSF), Yelhanka. It was still dark. There were 60 of us including
the BSF jawans and 4 para-cyclists and we lit up a long trail on the
National Highway 7 with our front lights. We made good headway
before our breakfast stop The sun rose and the road was beautiful.
We cycled in a straight line on the highway over undulating
landscape. We reached Penukonda (140 km away from start) for

54
lunch where we were greeted with flower garlands and a thousand
people from the town. After sharing pleasantries with Mrs. Paritala
Ravi, the widowed politician of the Telugu Desam Party and after
a long heavy lunch, we headed for our final destination of the
dayAnanthapur (190 km away from start). We reached around 7
pm.
We were tired, sweaty and had just enough time for a hot
shower, dinner and some rest. Next day, we started at 5 am and
made our way to Kurnool covering about 150 km for the day.
Many hours of cycling halts, a bit of rain and selfie breaks later,
we reached Kurnool in the evening around 6.30 pm. Here, we
were welcomed by the Telugu Desam Party politicians and people
from the town. We made a speech about cycling, its physical and
mental health benefits for both handicapped and non-handicapped
people. The day ended with a satisfying dinner and a much
deserved good nights sleep.
When we woke up on the third morning of our trip, our bodies
were still tired and muscles were sore but our mind was set to
cover the distance. After all, we had a cause and a goal. Even the
Tamil/Telugu film actress, Regina Cassandra joined us on this
stretch, making it four women on the ride. The cherry on the
cake was when some motor bikers saw me and rode along with
me and asked why I was doing this. When I told them that we
were spreading the word about the numerous benefits of cycling
amongst handicapped people and raising funds through this ride,
some of them offered their money for the cause. That was the
moment of success and I realized my goal had been truly achieved.
We crossed many rivers, lakes, farms and striking sights. We
reached Jadcherla (130 km for the day) by evening and visited
Kairo farms, a dairy, and had dinner there.
Our last leg from Jadcherla to Shamsahabad and into
Hyderabad city was covered on the last day. It was very memorable

55
also because we arrived on 15th August (Independence Day) and
were joined by Nara Lokesh (politician, minister and businessman
in Andhra Pradesh), who also cycled with us. Our grand and
successful entry was welcomed by a 3 km long human chain and
ended at the NTR Bhavan opposite KBR Park.
I was tired and exhausted but I was on an adrenaline high by
the end of it. When I recall, I learnt a lot in those three days. The
key was to ride slowly, steadily, maximizing mileage on the down-
slopes, getting good rest and massaging the sore muscles. But
most of all, I learnt that hard work always pays off.
Indira lives in Hyderabad. She can be contacted at:
indira.penubolu@gmail.com

56
 PEDALLING THROUGH THE PUDDLES
Yamini Krishna

Bicycle! It conjures up several images all at once-from different

times with different people, all connected by a single thread.
Perhaps I should call it a chain.
I asked my sister to write down memories of her cycle. I dont
think I ever rode a cycle properly. For me, Scooty was freedom. I
think I didnt get to ride a bicycle because of you. You always
told Amma to see that I didnt follow you. I think I will blame it
on you, she laughed out aloud.
That was to be my story too. The narrative would have been a
little different though. Whenever I think of a bicycle, I am always
reminded of a little girl following me on a tricycle and that I am
busy looking back to check if she is alright. Freedom for me came
attached with a tricycle.
The Hindi films of the 70s always had a reunion song for
when the family splits, they would all reunite by singing the theme
song. These songs would always play in the background of the
narrative. Ive always fancied such a song-a song for each occasion.

57
 I had a song for my bicycle too. A song which I have to sing
every time I ride. A song which, for me, verbalises the bicycle
ride itself. For someone as restless as I am, cycle is a perfect
companion. It keeps things moving-sort of strikes a perfect balance
between pedalling and stopping. A metaphor for life.
Each time I pedal, the wind hits my face, I sing Me Zindagi ka
saath nibhata chala gaya.. [I kept keeping up pace with life]
As a child, everybody draws the same picture-a rising sun,
mountains and a river flowing from in between. I must have also
drawn something similar but if I have to imagine a place, it would
have to be a road, maybe I should call it a path, a path where one
could walk forever. Walk into nothingness. I would prefer walking
any day over anything else but I think cycles would be the only
thing that would go with the walk, a non-intrusive companion. I
have always shunned away from owning things. What if one wants
to run away? These things would become impediments. They
will have to be gotten rid of first, before one ran away. I always
wonder how people travel on motorbikes and cars. It often seems
that one has to carry them rather than being carried by them.
Cycle is probably the only thing that dares to walk with you.
Travel time is probably the only time my body can afford
stillness without feeling guilty. Each time I am on the move, I look
for places that can lend me the space to pedal. I watch the wheels
splashing through the water puddles and sing out aloud..har fiqr
ko dhuen me udata chala gaya. [I kept blowing away all my worries
in dust].
A walker who could be spotted on random roads listening to
stories, what she calls research. Yamini Krishna can be contacted
at: yaminkrishn@gmail.com

58
 BEST ABROAD EXPERIENCE
As a Student with a Bike
Soujanya Mantravadi

The biking experience in Europe while I was a student there is

one of my favourite memories. It was the most affordable and the
best way to get a feel of the place and absorb the atmosphere.
Easter Break in Italy
It was the Easter break of the year and I kicked off a trip to
Italy for a week. I was 22 and it was my first solo backpack trip
abroad. I had a day in Pisa and I explored it on a rented bicycle.
Biking turned out to be a great idea during the trip as I was able to
observe the new place more closely without having to walk for
hours. It saved me time which was important as one often has
limited time at hand when travelling. To a traveller in Europe, I
would recommend cycling as a way to explore most cities for
they are easy to cycle around, the mode provides a decent way to
discover the place and appreciate its architecture.
Velib (Freedom Bike) - My Best Friend in Paris
I would say that tour de France affiliates well with France if it is

59
on bicycles. To me, France and Paris is all about the memories-
most that I have of the evenings. Bulk of them are from my saddle-
eye view through Velib.
Paris has a 700 km network of bicycle paths. Velib is a bicycle
share system of Paris with the highest market penetration in the
world. It is the 12th largest bike sharing project by circulation.
Interestingly, all of the top 15 projects are those of Chinese cities
except Velib. Velib blends well with the Parisians. I came across
many riders with no compromise on their fashion, sometimes with
high heels and designer suits. I copied the Parisian style and started
riding in my office attire, quite comfortably. Well, nothing close
to designer robes and stilettos!
It was in winter 2014 that I started my internship in the La
Dfense area (north-west periphery) and was living at cite
universitaire (southern periphery). My workplace to home was a
travel time of an hour on metro. So I worked out a way to bike
from work in the evenings. Each day, I would take a different
route, to get familiar with every main street in central Paris.
Paris is called Ville des noctambules (or city of night owls).
Paris definitely dazzles in the evenings. The old quarters with
cobbled stone streets look so pretty, cosy cafs and bars play jazz
& pop, and these Soir-de-Paris (evening in Paris) elements are

60
sighted better, while riding a bicycle. Riding a bike to grab a
crepe and a coffee on the street, to lay down on the grass next to
R. Seine with an e-reader and sometimes with nothing, to museum-
stroll in Louvre or Pompidou (museum entry free for under 25
year old) was my favourite routine. All the while, a bicycle was
giving me the best companionship to make it all work.
Cycling, a Gift for a Swiss Resident
Towards the end of 2014, I moved to rural Switzerland to join a
research lab. I had a bicycle to move around the sparsely populated
villages in the region. It was therapeutic to ride through the farms
located far apart, most of the times next to River Aare and a few
times through the forest. There were many sheep around the guest
house where I was staying. These were some tranquil rural scenes
of Switzerland that I will never forget. My bicycle gave me a chance
to get the Swiss-experience that was beyond its tourism image.
I would bike from Dottingen (border town in Swiss) to Waldshut
(border town in Germany) at least once a month to pick up
groceries from Germany. I would stop at my will and sometimes
at a local German caf in that town to eat a yummy Apfelstudel.
Thanks to the transit trains that allow bicycles. They rescued me
and my bicycle buddy Jem, from carrying the grocery bags on
our way back. This activity gave me enormous confidence and a
sense of empowerment. I could bike to a neighbouring country to
shop for my groceries only because my bicycle made the ride so
joyful.
I moved back home in Hyderabad when I was 25. In my spare
time now, I am more likely to be found relaxing in a caf than on
the saddle. Nevertheless, I hope to get back to a life where I can
bike to fill some fresh air in my lungs and lots of joy in my heart.
Soujanya, 27, is a graduate in mechanical engineering discipline
from KTH Stockholm. She is a researcher by profession and
currently works at a start-up in her home town, Hyderabad.

61
 PANCHALI OF PONDICHERRY
Hema Vaishnavi

Pondicherry, the city of bicycles, is best explored on a bicycle. If

walking is perhaps the best way to get acquainted with a place,
bicycle makes it memorable and joyful.
The best place to rent a bicycle is in the busy market road of
Jawaharlal Nehru Street, where you can find the oldest and
perhaps, the biggest bicycle shop of Pondicherry, Janata Bicycle
Store. Every street has at least one shop that will rent out a bicycle
to you.
Once atop a bicycle, you can start exploring this intriguing
city and the first thing you will notice is the sheer number of
bicycles around you. Men and women of all ages, and children,
pedalling away to their destination.
One could start heading towards The Ville Blanche or White
Town, the French part of the town which is practically filled with
bicycle stands and people buzzing about their bicycles.
The special thing about this coastal city of Pondicherry is due
to the colonial rule it has a unique environment. Pondicherry gave

62
a kick-start to the womens liberation movement compared to the
rest of the country. And this can be seen in how the bicycle has
been adopted by the citizens of this unique place, especially the
women.
The French grid pattern architecture and the houses might
give you the impression that you are not in India, but once you
look around the people and how they go about their business,
will give you the same impression!
Today, when you go in to the White Town, which also has
the revered Aurobindo Ashram, one can find men and women of
all ages, classes on a variety of bicycles.
The Janata Bicycle Stores
Talking to one of the teachers at the Sri Aurobindo International
Centre of Education-an elderly lady aged 66, who rides to the
school on her Rayleigh bicycle-says that shes always used the
bicycle to commute within the city and often on long rides too.
On this particular day, shes wearing her khaki shirts, which is
part of the school PT uniform, as she goes about her day.
Upon asking about her precious Rayleigh which has been
painted blue now, she beamed and said, Ive been riding this
bicycle for more than 25 years and Ive maintained it by myself
until a few years ago, but it has become difficult to do so because
of my age. Nonetheless, I still use to commute every day.
She moved to Pondicherry in 1961, and her father, along with
her granduncle started a bicycle shop in Pondicherry, the Janata
Bicycle Store, in August, 1961. My father was working in a cycle
shop in Chennai, and he used the bicycle for daily commuting.
My grand uncle came and started the shop in Pondicherry. We
came from Chennai, because we wanted to stay in the Aurobindo
Ashram. The whole family came here, and the Janata Bicycle
Store is still running, run by the great grandson, she says.
Upon probing further about the cycling days during her prime,

63
she recollects, So we were all cycling as students and even today
as adults we cycle. Ive been cycling since I was 13 or 14. Although
we did learn how to ride before that, I got my cycle at that age, I
remember I was given an Atlas bicycle specially made for girls.
We have to pass a test to our instructor at the school. Once we
passed the test, we were allowed to have our own bicycles. We
used to go on long bike rides to see places nearby. Ive done long
rides to places like Gingee fort, which is about 70 kilometres from
here.
In Pondicherry, we were the first senior ladies who were
wearing shorts and cycling. I remember cycling in Mahabalipuram
too. The best thing about the bicycle is it allows you to be at
peace and explore the place by yourself. You go silently, stop and
enjoy the place. You enjoy much more because you are not going
at a break neck speed. And thats why I love my cycle.
She laments about the condition of the city today and says,
Cycle is the best means of transport in my opinion. But today,
the sheer number of two wheelers has contributed to the pollution.
We dont really need those many bikes. Unless were time pressed.
But it hardly takes ten minutes more to reach from one place to
another. Even for half a kilometre, people are using bikes. You
can use a bicycle instead. Its more silent and its a beautiful
companion.
The Multicultural City
The interesting thing, however, is men and women alike are
oblivious to what they are wearing. Women in sarees, salwar and
shorts are ubiquitous as children zooming about on their bicycles.
The thing about Pondicherry is this picturesque scene is not
restricted to just the French part of the town. Once you move out
and on to the areas populated by local Tamils, youll be surprised
to find women go about their work on cycles, the preferred mode
of transport. One can see bicycles of all kinds, customized to
peoples use, baskets and panniers made of different materials.

64
 There are just pockets of India where one can find such
liberation in the air. From a 70-year-old French woman to a 13-
year-old girl from a Tamil household, everyone uses the bicycle
as a means of transport. The bicycle transcends class in this
southern coastal city.
As you move from vintage buildings and their unique
architecture of the French Quarters, you will find yourself pedalling
along the bustling Tamil Quarters as you make your way through
the Goubert Market, where you can find ladies from Tamilian
households carrying supply from the market or going to work on
their bicycles. You will notice that the bicycle have baskets of all
sizes and shapes, made from straw, bamboos, wooden baskets
and the regular metal ones. And these panniers carry heavy loads,
sometimes one on each side of the bicycle, at the front or at the
back. Women carry groceries, students carry their bags and books
too.
The Tamil Quarter sits to the West of the French Quarter. It
was separated from the latter by a Grand Canal that bisected down-
town Pondicherry, and still runs through the city today. As you
go about you will find that the city has change noticeably from
the French part, in terms of architecture, the roads are more kaccha
and the places of worship. Yet the part that remains unique to the
entire city is the bicycle.
On the way to the Auro beach and on Auroville, you will find
the Tamilians and French residents riding the bicycles. Somewhere
near the Kuyilappalayam Higher Secondary School in Auroville,
you will notice the local children commuting bicycle.
Panchali
Upon talking to a young girl, Panchali, who tells her story about
how shes been working in households for a few years now. Ive
been riding a bicycle since I was at least ten. I used to go to school
by bicycle, and I loved my bicycle. But soon after class 7 I had to

65
give up school as my parents could no longer afford to send me to
school. And since then Ive been working in households to help
my out my family.
For Panchali, whos now 19, travelling by foot isnt always easy
as she has to travel at least 4-5 kilometres to work in households
that pay her a decent wage. And there are times when it gets dark
and she doesnt feel safe going by foot. For the first one year that
I was working I struggled a lot because I didnt have a bicycle.

Panchali (Left)
Hema (Right)

We had to sell a lot many things at home, and my bicycle was one
of them, she says.
Panchali, who was determined to buy a bicycle, worked hard
for a year and saved enough money to buy bicycle on instalments.
(Yes, you can buy bicycles on instalments too!)
She now rides a pink ladybird, which she calls her companion.
Ive had this bicycle for almost five years now. I know I cant go
too far but I can go to places that I want to within the city and
riding along the University road and going to the beach is
something that I can do on my own.

66
 PINKY AND CHITTY
Hema Vaishnavi

In the hopes to acquire a bright future, one sends their kids to

schools and different classes or tuitions. Commuting to school
has become a hurdle that many people have to deal with everyday.
For parents who are well off and can afford to send them to schools
with bus facilities or hire autos, there is no problem. But the people
who face the real dilemma are those living on the fringes of the
poverty line, who have no other option but to send their kids to
nearby schools and often on bicycles. And there begins the urban
dilemma.
Walking isnt much of an option owing to the enormous weight
of the books that they carry, and riding a bicycle on the city roads
has become a nightmare for the children. The numerous potholes,
the mindless traffic and the amount of pollution and noise are
intimidating enough.
This is the story of Pinky and Chitty, who go to the Madapati
Hanumantha Rao Girls High School, a government run school in
Hyderabad. The sisters who are aged 14 and 11 years old

67
respectively live nearly three kilometres away from the school
and the two of them either take a bus to the school or prefer to go
by walk.
Chitty, whos currently studying in class 6 loves to cycle.
Cycling is my most favourite activity, next to playing in the park,
she says. For the 11 year old year Chitty, cycling is quite the luxury
and the bicycle that she uses now, is a black BSA Hercules bicycle,
a bicycle designed for boys. But Chitty and her sister are only too
happy to ride and they fancy the boys models more than Lady
Birds.
The first time I learnt to cycle was a couple of years ago. It
was handed down to me by someone who left the apartment
building. It was a boys bicycle and I was only too happy to get
my hands on a cycle after pestering my father for quite some time
now.
The father works as a watchman in an apartment building and
often gets things which are handed down to the sisters. Both the
sisters have had their cycles that were hand-me-downs but both of
them are now wary of getting on the saddle for a seemingly huge
dilemma that most urban dwellers face today.
Pinky and Chitty love their bicycle and are too happy to run
errands for the house on their bicycle. Chitty, whos often asked
to fetch groceries by the housewives residing in the apartment
building, goes out of her way on most days to run to the nearest
store, any chance to get on the bicycle.
For Chitty and Pinky, the bicycle makes them feel one among
the rest of the girls. These girls who were sidelined or felt couldnt
quite mingle with the girls of the colony or the apartment building,
now cycle with the other girls and boys of the colony. Although
the two sisters share the only bicycle they own, they wish they
had one of their own, like most girls of their school.

68
 I have always wanted a gear cycle of my own, the one with
silver mudguards like Preeti has. Preeti always gives it to me for a
ride, and I love riding it but Ive always wanted one of my own.
Says Pinky. Preeti is another kid who resides in the apartment
building.
It was just a few months ago during Holi that Pinky and her
friend went to visit a friend close to the school, which changed
Pinky and Chittys idea of cycling.
It was the time of Holi, so my friend and I decided to go a
classmates house. We wanted to surprise her. We did not tell our
parents, and since it was early in the morning, we were sure there
would be no traffic. It was a great ride. The roads were empty and
we were even riding in the middle of the main road! beams Pinky
with excitement.
So we went to her place, she was surprised to see her. She has
a cycle too, a pink Lady Bird, one that my sister has always
wanted. She comes on a bicycle to school every day. I wish I
could do that too, but my father never allows us take our bicycles
to school. So we went for a ride and decided to come back before
the traffic gets heavy. My father had no idea we were out on the
roads. So we went about on the free roads, and looked at the
metro construction nearby. Everything was so calm and hardly
anybody was around. People were just setting up their stalls outside
with the Holi colours, flowers, and what not, she says.
It was now time for Pinky to get back home. We had a great
time. I knew my father would be worried about but I was far from
worried about anything. The traffic was getting heavy and we had
to hurry. The metro constructors were getting about their work
too and the noise was just too much to bear. I had cycled for
about a kilometre, if I remember correctly, and a vehicle, which
was coming in the wrong direction bumped into me and I fell
from my cycle. For a few minutes I didnt quite understand what

69
was happening but I got up and looked at my hands, which were
bruised pretty badly. I was so scared that my father would start
scolding and I was petrified that he would never allow me to use
my bicycle again. I went home in a tensed state only to find that
my father wasnt at home.
Pinky washed her wounds and tidied herself, and she never
told her parents about the incident. But the fear of the near mishap
haunts her even today. Chitty, who witnessed a friend in an
accident, has similar fears but the two sisters are ever ready get on
their bicycles.
For Pinky and Chitty, even if they have cycles they are unable
to go out freely on the roads. The dangerous traffic, the threat of
an imminent accident and the people who look at the bicycles as
menace, have left these two sisters vary of bicycles even as their
hearts race at the idea of pedalling without a care in the world.

70
Sport

DEBORAH HEROLD
Kathakali Chanda

In November 2015, twenty-one-year-old Deborah Herold (born

18 February 1995 in Aberdeen, Andaman and Nicobar Islands)
became the first Indian cyclist to climb to World no. 4 in individual
rankings in 500 meters time trial, according to the Union Cycliste
Internationale (UCI), cyclings global governing body. Her
achievement came after the Track Asia Cup in New Delhi in
November, where she won three medals, including gold in the
womens elite sprint. Herold also became the first Indian cyclist
to qualify for the prestigious Track Cycling World Championships
held in London in March, where only the worlds top 20 cyclists
made the cut.
Herold, however, wears her rapid, spirited rise lightly. Before
we speak to her at the indoor velodrome at the Indira Gandhi
Sports Complex in Delhi, she rushes off to fetch chairs for everyone.
Shes candid about her struggles in a big city, with language in
particular, and admits that shes made progress from last year,
when she could only gesticulate. She doesnt have much of a life
outside the velodrome, except the odd outings on Sundays, but

71
thats alright because the cycling arena feeds her singular obsession:
Speed.
On most days, Herold tries to outpace herself on the 250 meter
circular timber track. In between her training sessions, she searches
for more speed-in the racing games she has downloaded on her
smart phone.
Herold herself didnt have cycling ambitions until some years
ago. Till then, hailing from a family of meagre means, hers was a
story of any other Nicobarese tribalmodest and listless. Then
came the morning after Christmas, 12 years ago, when their lives
turned upside down. On December 26, 2004, nine-year-old Herold
and her brother, three years younger, were woken up by their
mother around dawn in their Car Nicobar home. By then, the
earth was writhing from a quake measuring 9 on the Richter Scale
somewhere off Indonesia. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an
archipelago out in the Bay of Bengal, were bearing the first brunt
of the quake on Indian landmass. As furniture tumbled around
them, Herolds mother lifted her children in her arms and ran
out. Before she could move to safety, towering tsunami waves
swallowed the northernmost region of the Nicobar islands, and,
as the water pummelled in, the girl slipped from her mothers
grip. Herold didnt know how to swim and no one around stopped

72
to give her a hand. The only thing she could think of doing was to
climb the nearest tree.
That was where she remained perched for the next five days,
watching the water rise and ebb. I was hungry and there were a
lot of mosquitoes but I just hung on, says Herold. Once the water
receded, and the search parties and her parents came looking for
survivors, she cried out. My parents had given up hope. They
thought I was dead. But not me. I never felt that I would give up.
Giving up isnt Herolds thing. She fought through the aftermath
of the tsunami devastation, helping her family rebuild their lives.
Her survival instincts shone through once again when she began
cycling and was uprooted from Car Nicobar and brought to the
national capital, a city 10 times the size of her homeland. Apart
from honing her skills on her bike, Herold used her three years in
Delhi to pick up a working knowledge of English and meld into
the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex hostel, which houses trainees
from all corners of the country.
Last October, days before she was to leave for the Taiwan
Cup Track International Classic, Herold came down with dengue,
and lost 5 kg in bodyweight. It made the chief national cycling
coach RK Sharma, under whom Herold is training at the Delhi
camp, doubt her prospects at the tournament.
But not only did Herold make it to the tournament, she even
returned with five medals, including gold in the womens elite
sprint category. Her performance also helped her break into the
top 10 in the individual category. She never lets go till the finishing
line, never mind even if the competitor is ahead of her right from
the start. Thats what makes her a champion, says Sharma.
This fearless, raring-to-go spirit manifested in Herold when she
was a child. At Car Nicobar, she would get into scuffles with boys
and beat them hollow, or challenge them to climb ropes hung
from trees and haul herself up at lightning speed before the others.
This abundance of energy saw her try out all sorts of sports-sprint

73
runs, long jump, what have you. She made it to a local womens
football team. She also won a 5 km race, leading the runner-up by
a kilometre.
Cycling wasnt really a preference and she would tinker with
the bike aise hi [just like that]. When the word got around of a
selection camp organised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI)
in Port Blair in 2009, she pedalled in. With her regular bicycle
and without any training, Herold beat the trainees at SAI and was
selected to represent her school at the inter-state school games in
Pune in 2009.
At the national-level meet, Herold ended up 9th among 11
participants, but caught the eye of Subhendu Sengupta, the coach
for Andaman and Nicobar Islands. I liked the way she managed
to beat two national-level cyclists without proper training and
equipment. I also liked her never-say-die spirit. After she lost, she
told me shell train harder and come back a winner next year,
says Sengupta. I recommended her, and in 2010, she was selected
to join the Port Blair camp.
That year, her family, particularly her mother who thought
cycling would be a tough sport for a girl, refused to let her relocate
from Car Nicobar (where her father was a temporary staff member
at the Indian Air Force base) to Port Blair for training. They had
also grown protective about the girl after the tsunami. Sengupta
recalls that it took a year to convince them. Herold finally joined
SAI, Port Blair, in 2011. In January 2012, at the Amritsar nationals,
she won gold in the sub-junior category, clocking a time better
than the junior champion. She was spotted by the national selectors
and selected for the camp in Delhi. That was the beginning of the
Deborah story. says Sengupta.
In 2013, around the time Herold joined the national camp in
Delhi, national cycling coach RK Sharma had just returned from
Aigle, in Switzerland, with a diploma in road and track training.
Armed with a training programme that, in his own words, was

74
decades ahead of Indias, Sharma set out to chart a road map for
Indian cyclists to raise their game in international competitions.
His first student, Herold, made him hopeful. At the camp, she
broke national records over and over again. The first time she
rode in front of me, she improved her previous timing. And on
every occasion since, she has only bettered her record, says
Sharma.
VN Singh, the assistant secretary of the Cycling Federation of
India (CFI), says, When she first came here, she clocked around
41 seconds in the 500 metre time trial. Now she is around 36 seconds,
and is the first woman cyclist in India to break the 37 second barrier
in the category. In the 200 metre sprint, too, she is the national
record holder. Right now, she has no competition in India.
What makes Herold a good cyclist? Genes, for one. Herold
belongs to the Nicobarese tribe that originates from the Mongoloid
stock and is known to have a well-built structure, especially calf
muscles that are essential for cycling. Besides, her body is endowed
with fast-twitch muscles that are designed for quick contractions,
enabling speed and power as opposed to slow-twitch muscles that
are good for enduring long distances. These give Herold a sprinters
anatomy and power her short bursts of high-speed performances.
What propels her forth is her single-minded approach to the
sport: the urge to go faster and faster, and the ability to break
down the bigger picture into smaller, daily targets. On some days,
the target is to cross the finishing line microseconds earlier than
before; on some other days, it is to train her muscles harder, to be
supple and tenacious at the same time. There are days when waking
up early, going for runs, quick shower-change-dash, for races seems
a chore, and the heart tells the head to give the punishing routine
a miss. The very next instant though, the head is firmly in control.
You tell yourself about the long-term goal and keep pushing,
says Herold.
The birds eye that she is taking aim at, of course, is the

75
Olympics in 2020. And the road to Tokyo is a long and arduous
one. The race starts in November 2018, and points earned from
10 tournaments-three world cups, one world championships and
one Asian championship each year-through 24 months add up
for qualifications. Only the top 27 riders will make it, nine in
individual categories and 18 in team championships, and the
smallest micro of microseconds will separate the podium from
the exit door.
Herold got a taste of the cut-throat competition at the UCI
championships in London in March, where she finished last in
the 500 metre time trial, almost 4 seconds behind champion
Anastasiia Voinova of Russia. Thats a lot of ground to make,
given that the top three were separated by less than a second.
Last year, Herold clocked her best of 11.06 seconds in the 200
metre sprint, in the Track Asia Cup in Delhi. Sharma reckons she
would need to hit at least 10.7 seconds to qualify for the Olympics
in that category. If she can reach 11.1 seconds by the end of 2016,
he believes she will be on course. But for that, says Sharma, she
has to build her muscles, do weight and strength training. Besides,
cycling is a tactical sport. She has to out-think the other rider,
know when to conserve energy, when to block her opponent and
when to accelerate for the final burst. Every race is different.
Herold isnt dwelling much on her London performance. A
cyclist typically hits peak form around 28 years and, at 21, she
knows she still has several opportunities ahead of her. Nahi, nahi
[No, no], she shakes her head vigorously when asked if a loss
makes her sad. It makes me more determined. If I am down, Ill
fight more. Only when Im behind in a race, I get angry and I
channel my anger towards pedalling even harder. If I lose, I know
its an opportunity to perform even better in the next race. She
often looks back on London for the exposure it gave her and the
opportunity she got to rub shoulders with international cyclists,
particularly her icon Voinova. Its important to see how champions
conduct themselves, what they eat, how they exercise right before

76
the race plus learn a few lessons about focusing. International
cyclists dont even talk before a race, says Herold.
Her first coach, Sengupta, says Herolds got a bit of that
champion streak in her. Shes never homesick, even though she
stays away from her family for years. Its something that affects
many other athletes, he says.
This March, Herold went back to Car Nicobar after two years
to a heros welcome. People poured in to meet her and she also
made an appearance at the police station, where she holds the job
of a sub-inspector. They didnt recognise me at first, she says.
Has her hipster hairstyle got something to do with it? Her face
melts into a smile. The diffident, young girl, who would bunk
cycling practice to play football, has come a long way, says
Sengupta. The radical, new haircut inspired by Colombian cyclist
Fabian Hernando Puerta Zapata is just one of its many
manifestations.
Herold still has many laps to go before the jury decides if shell
end up as the star of Indian cycling, or merely play a cameo. Her
performance at the 2018 Asiad in Jakarta will be watched closely.
If she manages to win a medal, shell end a 67-year drought for
the country, after individual bronzes won by Rohinton Noble and
Netai Chand Bysack in the inaugural Delhi Asian Games in 1951.
Whatever the outcome, she has already secured a legacy for
herself by bringing the distant islands of Andaman and Nicobar
on the Indian sporting landscape. Impressed by Herolds
performance, CFIs Singh has gone to the Islands subsequently to
scout for more cycling talents, and returned with three more
exciting prospects-Emerson, Arkaprava Baul and Essaw-who are
being groomed in Delhi. Most of all, Herold has afforded the trio
the breadth of desire to aspire to compete on the international
stage. Now, that in itself is no mean feat.
This article is excerpted from Forbes India, July 8, 2016.

77
Fiction

AND SHE NEVER LOOKED BACK

T. Vijayendra

Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think [the bicycle]

has done more to emancipate women than any one thing
in the world. I rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on
a bike. It gives her a feeling of self-reliance and
independence the moment she takes her seat; and away
she goes the picture of untrammelled womanhood.
Susan B Anthony, the American civil rights leader,
wrote in 1896
Aloka was actually looking back. Sitting on the rock, watching the
rough sea dashing on the rock below her in Pondicherry, she was
wondering how she lived 25 long years in Calcutta after her
marriage. At first, everything was fine (surprise! surprise!!). She
was young, enjoyed playing house house, enjoyed cooking and
feeding her husband and his friends, who were all in love with
her, her singing Rabindra Sangeet and all that.
Then the daughter came and years just passed. Her husband
got busy with his work. Aloka drifted in to animal care and dogs.

78
She volunteered for Blue Cross where she met Parimal, a refugee
from Bangladesh. Her own grandparents were from Jessore,
Bangladesh. Parimal and Aloka clicked and got together like a
house on fire. Parimal knew everything about dogs- breeds, habits,
training, rescue, diseases, everything! He could even do minor
surgeries. Aloka simply adored dogs and she could never get tired
of taking care of them.
Things slowly changed. Her husband, at first, made fun of her.
Then, he got jealous of Parimal and began to abuse Aloka. He
would even get violent when he got drunk. Yes, as Aloka drifted
in to her dog love, Nihar drifted into alcohol. The daughter, Shreya,
who was a teenager by now, also sided with her father because
she also felt neglected. Then, she also accused her and suddenly
Aloka found that all her friends began to avoid her. Even her
parents told her that her first duty was towards her family. And
Parimal? He had his dogs and he did not need anything or anybody
else.
Guilt, guilt, guilt! Aloka did not know anything else but guilt
in her last years in Calcutta which had become Kolkata now. She

79
was friendless, lonely and miserable. Only the dogs gave her love
and reassurance. Surrounded with all this guilt, Aloka could not
understand what wrong did she do? She then met Viju.
*****
Viju had come to Kolkata on his annual visit and was giving an
informal talk to a group of naturalists on sustainability and equality.
He also focussed on the bicycle, as 2017 was the bicentenary year
of the bicycle. He said, from an ecological perspective, the bicycle
is one of the most sustainable and affordable mode of transport.
Almost anyone can afford it. It is cheaper than a smart phone! It is
the transport of the future particularly when oil resources are
depleting. He also talked about the forth coming book by his
groups entitled, Women and Cycle in India: Joy, Mobility,
Freedom, Empowerment.
After the talk, Aloka shared a taxi ride with him. She told him
a little about herself and said that she did not know how to get out
of her situation.
Viju: What do you want to do?
Aloka: I want to see the world and finish my French course in
Kolkata, the examination for which is due in April.
Viju: Well, you can buy a bicycle, go to Chandannagar, stay
with an old French lady, take care of her, do your French studies,
appear in the examination and then go round the world on your
bicycle. Ann Londonderry, a mother of three, did it in 1894!
Aloka thought Viju was mad. It is so easy to talk but she had
to admit that his suggestion about moving to Chandannagar was
reasonable. Chandannagar, like Pondicherry near Tamilnadu, is
a former French colony and is located only 35 kilometres north of
Kolkata. It is a small town with a population of just 166,867 (as of
2014) and it would be easy to locate a French speaking Old lady
if she did exist.
*****
80
Next day she told Parimal about the talk.
Parimal, said, Well, you can buy a cycle to start with.
Aloka: But I dont know how to cycle and I am fifty years
old!
Parimal: (in an exasperated tone) Oh that! You can learn it in
a day! And the age of fifty is fine (laughing)-free from pimples,
post menopause freedom and frolicsome. Go for it!
These men, Aloka thought, talk so easily. Well, they went
and bought the Lady Bird and kept it at Blue Cross. A new thing
got added in Alokas life. She had already left her husband and
was living with her parents. Aloka would be up early morning, go
to school to teach the primary classes, come home, have lunch
and after a brief rest, rush to Blue Cross to take her bicycle lessons.
Yes, she did learn it in a day and was actually enjoying the wind
on her face and the absolute freedom she felt. Yes, she would
ride to Chandannagar soon.
At the end of the month, she collected her salary, bought a
track suit, a helmet, a pair of good shoes and was ready for the
road. She just took one extra pair of night clothes, her toilet bag,
a tube of Odomos, a water bottle and she was off to Chandannagar.
*****
She found Mademoiselle Simone, a spinster, daughter of a
theosophist, in love with India and Bengali food and lived by
giving French lessons. How the hell did Viju know? She readily
agreed to have Aloka as a cook in lieu of lodge and board. She
chatted and made Aloka talk in French, correcting her
pronunciation and teaching new words all the time. It was a dream
total immersion programme of foreign language learning. Of
course Aloka passed her examination with flying colours.
Aloka was ready for a cycle trip to Pondicherry. Chandannagar
is a small town and she cycled everywhere. She also met some

81
cyclists, was an informal tour guide to some visiting French students
who loved the idea of cycling around town with a lady who knew
the town and the French language. She picked up a lot of cycling
folklore and some real knowledge about the cycle-brands, prices,
how to choose and so on. She was ready to replace her beloved
Lady Bird with the next generation of cycle.
Aloka was in touch with Viju on email. Viju was pleasantly
surprised that she actually followed his advice. So few people did!
Viju sent her drafts of the book, Women and Cycle in India: Joy,
Mobility, Freedom, Empowerment. The chapter Bicycle and
Womans Liberation and chapters on experiences of Indian
women on bicycle were very inspiring.
She called up Parimal and asked him to buy a Montra bicycle
for her. On the next Sunday, he came cycling the new Montra
and took the Lady Bird back to Kolkata. Parimal also had brought
a lot of road gear. It contained a double saddle bag, which
contained a good water bottle, a tiny sleeping bag and a small
mosquito net. He would not take any money from her and said, I
have been a refugee and know how it feels to leave ones home.
Any little help is always welcome in such situations. Aloka cried
and cried because she knew that this was the final good bye to
Calcutta, to Kolkata and to her past.
... You shall leave everything you love most:
this is the arrow that the bow of exile shoots first.
You are to know the bitter taste of others bread,
how salty it is,
and know how hard a path it is for one who goes
ascending and descending others stairs...
Paradiso XVII (55-60)
Durante degli Alighieri or simply Dante (1265-1321)
*****
82
Aloka cycled back towards Calcutta and up to Bali. She stopped
for a cup of tea and for a small packet of Parle G biscuits. She
called them the Indian National Biscuit and carried dozens of
packets with her to feed any and every dog that she met. She
knew that on the road, this was the safest food and dogs were her
most reliable friends.
Her heart was heavy and eyes misty when she turned right
towards Dankuni to reach the Bombay road. This was the final
goodbye to Calcutta. She stopped again at Bagnan on the banks
of Rupanarayan. This turn would take her away from the Gangetic
plains and bring her to Medinipur district. Another break from
the past.
By now, Calcutta was dimming and new experiences were
occupying her mind and her heart. At the tea shop, dogs came
barking because of her strange gear and her helmet. The moment
she removed the helmet and started talking to the dogs, they were
all wagging their tails. Then, out came the Indian National Biscuits
and they were all happy and sitting down near her. Children stood
gaping and she would start talking to them. The adults were also
gaping but soon gave it up. The tea shop refused to take money
for the tea. It was getting dark and the shop owners wife asked
her to stay overnight, which she gratefully accepted. She fell asleep
immediately after food. Strange dreams came but she got up early
morning, well rested and ready to start. As she cycled away, women
came out of their houses to gape at this woman who was cycling
alone on the highway.
This set up a pattern of her travels. She aimed at 50 kilometres
a day with small breaks at 10 kilometres. At some places, she
even met local bicycle clubs who asked her to give talks. Viju had
given her a lot of material and so she talked about the bicentenary
of the bicycle, the history of the cycle, women and bicycle,
government programmes of free bicycles to high school children,
China and India and so on. She had no dearth of topics and for

83
the audience, everything was new. With time, she improved on
her skills of giving talks. By the time she reached Bhubaneshwar,
an important stop for cyclists, she was a seasoned cyclist.
In Bhubaneshwar, she met Ajay Nanda of 22 Bikes. 22 Bikes
is an unusual cycle organisation. It takes care of all the necessities
of cyclists under one roof, such as selling bicycles of all brands,
accessories, repairing, servicing, bicycle-rentals, training sessions
and the organising of regular bicycle tours and events. Ajay believes
in forming a community and bringing together all the cycle
enthusiasts in the city through interesting activities and events and
that this will help in driving the concept of cycling into public life.
22 Bikes is more than just a place for bicycles. It promotes,
encourages and aims to educate people on the benefits of being a
cyclist. It also boasts of a library, that has around 50 percent of its
books dedicated to bicycles. Aloka stayed for a week in
Bhubaneshwar, resting and learning a lot more about cycling and
cycle clubs.
*****
After Bhubaneshwar, she was on the cycle club map and cycle
clubs on the way were expecting her, felicitating her and checking
her cycle for wear and tear and repairs. By the time she reached
Pondicherry, there was a posse of cyclists few kilometres outside
the town who accompanied her to the reception that was waiting
for her. It was a big meeting in the grounds and looked like a
political meeting. In fact it was more like a carnival. Stalls were set
up for idly, fruits, tea, coffee, coconuts, and handicrafts and so on.
All the business was done on cycles. People had come on their
cycles and there was a nice cycle stand for parking. There was a
photo exhibition about cycles and livelihood, about benefits of
cycling and of course about the Pondicherry Cycle Club.
Aloka gave a short talk. She said: I am a Bengali and in love
with French language, literature and people. That is, I am a
Francophile. Chandannagar and Pondicherry are Mecca and

84
Medina for me. I am coming from Chandannagar and I hope to
make Pondicherry my home.
This she repeated in Bengali and in French amid loud cheers.
She then gave a short description of her journey. She said, I learned
cycling only 3 months ago at the age of 50! There was first a gasp
and then loud cheering from the audience. Continuing, she said,
I thank Viju for the idea, Parimal for helping me buy my first
cycle and finally I thank my cycle Lady Bird and then the present
Montra. The cycle has become, after the dogs, a real friend for all
seasons.
The secretary of Pondicherry Cycling Club welcomed her
and gave her Honorary Life Membership of the Club. An old
gentleman asked permission to speak. He said, My name is
Ashutosh Bandopadhyay and I am a third generation citizen of
Pondicherry. Like Aloka, I am also a Francophile, more so because
I am married to a French woman. He called his wife, Claudine,
on the stage and continuing, he said, our children are all abroad
and are not going to come back. I offer our home and Aloka can
stay in our daughters room as long as she wishes with complete
freedom. His wife Claudine added in French, We will treat her
as our own daughter. We have a big French library of books,
music, videos and Aloka can use all of it and move further in her
French studies. There were loud cheers for minutes.
Tears were rolling down Alokas cheeks. Everyone wanted
her to speak again. The secretary offered her a huge handkerchief
and Aloka wiped her face and blew her nose right into the mike.
There was laughter in the audience and Aloka also smiled
sheepishly. Claudine offered her moisturised paper napkins. Still,
when Aloka rose to speak, her feet were unsteady and her voice
was heavy. She finally managed to say, When I left Calcutta, I
was homeless, lonely, friendless and miserable. I had only one
friend left in Calcutta-a poor Bangladeshi refugee who was a dog
lover. In the last three months, I got so much love and friendship

85
that I am overwhelmed. But what happened today here is so much
beyond what I imagined in my wildest dreams that it has left me
speechless. I will be able to thank all of Pondicherry in coming
years by my deeds and not by words today. She broke down and
there were loud cheers and clapping for a long time.
*****
Aloka settled down in Pondicherry. She helped at home, cooking
Bengali dishes and learning French cooking. She had learned some
in Chandannagar also. She was active with Pondicherry cycle club,
particularly in getting new women members and its programme
of renting cycles to the tourists. She also prepared for her next
level French examination but Ann Londonderrys solo trip around
the world in 15 months in 1894 kept on ringing in her head. She
was aware that the times had changed and that for an Indian
woman to get all the visas was a tough proposition. So she decided
to do it step by step.
First, she decided to get all her documents in order. She got
her certificates, passport, voter identity card, Aadhaar card and
other such documents. Her hosts in Pondicherry and her friends
in the cycling club helped her in a big way. They knew everyone
in the bureaucracy. She planned to first go to France and then to
the rest of Europe. First, she would do her own Tour de France
and then take the next trip of doing Europe. She also applied for
a fellowship for further study in French in France.
*****
Dear Reader, Aloka is still in Pondicherry, dreaming and planning.
Wish her all the luck!

86
 FREE CYCLES FOR GIRLS IN TELANGANA

To,
The Chief Minister,
Telangana

Subject: Free cycles to school going girls.

Dear Sir,
As you are aware, many states in India have a programme to
distribute free cycles for school going girls of class nine. This has
enormously increased the enrolment of girls and their success in
high schools and many of them went to colleges too. Independent
mobility has been a powerful tool of empowerment for women.
Besides that, cycle has other positive factors-it is the most efficient
mode of transport, free of fossil fuels and air pollution. It also
keeps the rider fit.
Before the bifurcation of the state, Andhra Pradesh too had a
programme like this and many girls in Telangana region have
benefited from it. To my knowledge, Telangana has yet to have
such a programme. Bifurcation gives an opportunity to study the

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existing programmes all over the country, learn from their
experience and evolve a better programme. To our knowledge,
Bihar government has the oldest and one of the best programmes.
I am attaching a brief survey of the programmes in different states
in India. This is incomplete and not fully updated but the idea is
catching up all over the country.
I am sure Telangana government will evolve the best
programme and implement it as soon as possible. This is the year
of the bicentenary of the bicycle. It will be a fitting way to celebrate
the year with such a programme.
With regards,
Yours Sincerely,

Enclosure: Free Cycle for Girls Programme in India

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 FREE CYCLES FOR GIRLS IN INDIA

India produces about 18 million cycles per year. Sixty per cent of
them are the old Roadster type cycles suitable for Indian villages
and small towns. Some twenty five percent are bought by
government under various schemes. One of the schemes that has
caught the attention of public is the free cycle for poor school
girls. It was first started by Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh
(their election symbol is cycle) around 2003 and while it is still
remembered, it did not last long. The most successful programme
to date appears to be from Bihar. Below, we give a brief survey of
the programmes in India, starting with Bihar.
Bihar
The Bihar programme started in 2007 and was improved with
experience. Today it caters to all government school going
children-both boys and girls irrespective of caste, class or religion.
In Bihar, one of Indias poorest and most populous states, half
of the women and a quarter of the men are illiterate, and about
90% of its 104 million inhabitants live in rural areas. Life here is
particularly difficult for girls and one of the greatest hindrances to
their development is the simple journey to school. For many, the

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trip is long, expensive and dangerous.
The states chief minister, Nitish Kumar, adopted a gender
agenda and set about redressing his states endemic gender
imbalances in an attempt to boost development in one of Indias
most backward states. His vision was to bring a sense of
independence and purpose to his states young women, and the
flagship initiative of this agenda is the Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle
Yojna-a project that gives schoolgirls 2,000 rupees to purchase a
bicycle.
In the first three years of the project, results have been
extremely promising: 871,000 schoolgirls have taken to the saddle
as a result of the scheme. The number of girls dropping out of
school has fallen and the number of girls enrolling has risen from
160,000 to 490,000.
Girls like Pinki Kumari (15), a student from the high school in
Desari, previously had 14 km round trip each day. Her father,
Anil Sharma, a local electrician, had wanted her to get married
early. He had to give up the plan in the face of his daughters
determination to study after she got a free bicycle from the

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government. Pinki now reaches school in 15 minutes, and is full
of hope for her and her familys future.
One keen young cyclist echoed the opinion and aspirations
of many of her schoolmates, saying, every morning, I look forward
to going to school. When Im older, I want to go to university.
This leap in the village girls education and aspirations represents
a quantum leap from their parents era. Just four of the 70
schoolgirls we met have mothers who made it to the 10th grade.
Kumar succinctly sums up the initiatives aim and all it stands
for. Nothing gives me a greater sense of fulfilment of a work well
done than seeing a procession of school-bound, bicycle-riding girls.
It is a statement for social forward movement, of social equality
and of social empowerment.
Andhra Pradesh
The Naidu government announced that bicycles would be given
away to 1.8 lakh girls studying in Classes V-X at government-
aided and Zilla Parishad schools in the state under the Badikostha
scheme which is aimed at bringing down the drop-out rate, increase
enrolment, attendance and academic performance of girl students.
The government estimated the project to cost Rs 74.92 crore.
While for OC girls below poverty line, Rs. 14.57 crore will be
re-appropriated from the Rs 20 crore budget allocated for the
biometric devices in schools, the expenditure with respect to
Scheduled Castes (SC) / Scheduled Tribes (ST) / Backward Classes
(BC) / Other Backward Classes (OBC) girls-students will be met
with funds drawn from their respective sub-plans. The re-
appropriation of the biometric funds (Rs. 14, 57, 44, 000) and those
from the sub-plans will total Rs. 74,92,72,000, the officials said.
According to information, the percentage of students in the
state who opt out of school before Class V is about 15%. This
percentage is higher at 27% in the case of girls who opt out of

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school before Class X. In the case of girls hailing from the ST
community, the number of drop-outs is even higher.
While the government has issued an order in July, sources in
the school education commissionerate said that it would take
another two or three months for implementation of the programme.
Jharkhand
Bicycle Distribution Scheme
This Scheme has been started by Jharkhand Government to
encourage girl students belonging to SC, ST, Minorities, and Below-
Poverty Line (BPL) families to go to schools and continue their
studies. This plan was started by the state government for the
following two reasons:
(i) The distance between the school & their houses being too
much, the family members have difficulties in sending their
girls to school.
(ii) After passing the middle level school, many girl students of
the villages discontinue their studies due to lack of
transportation facilities.
Purpose
The purpose of this plan is to stop the girl students belonging to
the SC, ST, Minorities and BPL families from discontinuing their
studies in high school stage due to distances between their villages
and the high school.
Structure
Initially, the plan of providing bicycles free of cost to the girl
students belonging to SC, ST, Minorities and BPL groups studying
in class VIIIth, IXth, and Xth was started in the year 2002-2003.
Later, girl students of only class VIII of the target group were
benefited.

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Process
In order to get the benefit of this plan, an application is to be sent
through the concerned principal to the District Welfare Officer
from where the bicycles are distributed.
Assam
Tarun Gogoi inaugurates free bicycle scheme for girls
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi launched a special scheme for
providing free bicycles to BPL girl students studying from Class
VIII to X. The state education department will distribute 1.3 lakh
bicycles across the state in the next 45 days, which will cost Rs. 50
crore.
Gogoi said the scheme has been undertaken by the state
government to encourage women education in the state. To make
Assam one of the leading states of the country, more emphasis
needs to be given to the education sector. Besides solving the
unemployment problem, expansion of education is the key to
increase the standard of living of the people, Gogoi said at the
inauguration programme.
The chief minister added that Assam is marching forward in
womens education. Enrolment of girl students in medical,
engineering and agricultural courses are going up every day, he
said.
State education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, Recent
trends show that the number of girls appearing for matric
examination in the state is more than that of boys. This shows that
the number of girls enrolling in schools is increasing, Sarma said.
Rajashree Bordoloi, who passed the matric examination from
TC Girls High School this year, thanked the government for the
initiative. The bicycle will help me reach class on time. Being a
student from a BPL family, getting a bicycle free of cost is a great
help, said Rajashree.

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Chandigarh
Chandigarh to provide free bicycles to class XI girl students. A
committee has been formed to finalise the specifications of the
bicycles. The programme will cost around Rs. 9.31 lakhs.
In Conclusion
Thus many states are following up on this idea and soon most
state government will take it up. There are also many NGOs and
individuals who are donating the cycles to needy girls. Many
innovative programmes are also coming up such as repairing old
cycles and gifting them to the needy. The future looks bright both
for girls and for cycles!

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 ABOUT ECOLOGISE HYDERABAD

Ecologise Hyderabad is part of the Ecologise movement in India

which looks at the ecological crisis holistically, with a perspective
of sustainability and equality. It deals with the contemporary issues
of global warming, resource depletion, ecological degradation and
growing inequality around the world and the local solutions of
resilience in the face of this crisis.
Ecologise Hyderabad is a small group of activists concerned
with the ecological crisis of the city. The aim of the group is to
look at the ecological crises of the city holistically, with a perspective
of sustainability and equality. Thus, it addresses several issues like
water, energy, transport, waste management, home composting,
terrace gardens, health, and education. The group runs several
workshops to strengthen the efforts of the activists in running green
programmes in different localities of the city with the help of the
resources available within the city.
This year, Ecologise Hyderabad is celebrating the bicentenary
of the bicycle with several events and publications. It has been
involved in publishing:

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1. You and Your Bicycle: A Guide to Maintaining Your Cycle
by Lavanya K and Shamala Kittane
2. Concorde Photo Stories from India: Bicycle
3. Kikis Super Duper Explorer by T. Vijayendra

You can know more about us at:

Ecologise - The 21st centurys converging crises and alternative ...
www.ecologise.in/
Ecologise - Home | Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/peakoilindia/
Bicentenary Year of the Bicycle-2017
https://www.facebook.com/BicentenaryBicycle

96
 Bicycle and Womens Liberation
History of Women and Cycle in India
Indian Women on Bicycle: In Life and in Cinema
Twelve Autobiographical Accounts of
Indian Women aged 90 to 25
Working Women and their Children and the Cycle
Cycle in Sports: Deborah Herold
Fiction: And She Never Looked Back
Telangana and Free Cycles for Girls Programmes in India