A prominent presence in the intellectual milieu of Maharashtra, Vinay Hardikar is known for his versatility, analytical ability and socio-political activism with strong commitment. Born in June 1949, Mr. Hardikar had his schooling in Bombay; came over to Poona for college and university and got his MA(English) from the University of Poona in 1972.
Since then Mr. Hardikar has been a school and post-graduate teacher, political worker, voluntary activist, journalist, editor, writer and public speaker during the last four decades. He also works
as industrial consultant and is an accomplished trekker and motorcyclist and music-critic.
Mr. Hardikar has published four books in Marathi and his English articles on the Indian political scene of the last 30 years are being put into a collection. Mr. Hardikar served in the RSS as a school boy, worked in student movement in late 60s. He offered Satyagraha against the infamous Emergency of 1975-77 and was jailed for two months. Later, Mr. Hardikar wrote about his experiences during the emergency in a path-breaking book Janancha Pravho Chalala (जनांचा प्रवाहो चालला).
He worked for the Janata Party till it lasted and then participated in the Shetkari Sanghatana, a radial farmers’s movement led by themaverick farmer leader Sharad Joshi., between 1983-2008. He was National Secretary of the Swatantra Bharat Paksha in 2007-2008. His secular, democratic credentials are impeccable and his pre-occupation with issue based politics has won him a good number of supporters and colleagues.
Mr. Hardikar knows six languages--Marathi, Hindi,
Mr. Hardikar is currently a faculty member at the FLAME University in Pune. He speaks regularly on current affairs and on ideology, and writes regularly in respected Marathi journals like Antarnaad and Sadhana.
Mr. Hardikar wishes to launch the present blog in order to involve talented intellectual and creative persons in the task of National Agenda Setting .You can contact him at vinay dot freedom at the rate gmail dot com.
