Elections in large-sized states are universally accepted as the watchword of democracy. A country that does not hold periodic elections and removes its rulers from power through the instrumentality of elections based on universal adult franchise does not qualify as democratic under the present circumstances. The paper argues that the institution of elections – widely held as the lifeblood of democracy under modern conditions whether in India or elsewhere – is produced through what Giorgio Agamben calls ‘a state of exception’ while paradoxically ‘safeguarding’ it. As he puts it:

Viewed in this light, it is a study not so much of elections being the illuminated face of our democracy but of the dark face that is hidden by it. Yet the very suspension of electoral rules and norms makes the conduct of ‘normal’ elections possible, gives credence to them as an institution and thereby strengthens the foundations of our democracy. The term ‘suspension’ is used here in three relatively distinguishable senses of the sovereign state deciding first not to apply the laws, rules and norms that it has otherwise set for itself, second, to apply them in a way that infringes on what Montesquieu calls, the ‘spirit’ of laws and third, that disarticulates the moral community.

In recent years, a great deal of discussion has taken place on the issue of occupational diversification by the rural households, particularly in the developing countries. It has been observed that most of the households in rural areas of the developing countries depend on a diverse portfolio of activities and income sources, alongside crop and livestock production (Ferrington et al., 2006). This has been a part of their survival strategy as also their aim to reduce the risk of income failure (Ellis, 1998, 2000; Barrett et al., 2001; Reardon et al., 2001; Lanjouw and Lanjouw, 2001). Another beneficial effect of diversification is that it helps to mitigate ‘labour smoothening’ problems which arise due to seasonality of pure agricultural operations.

However, it is to be admitted that the diversification strategy of the household may not necessarily coincide with the individual worker-level diversity. As argued by Ellis (2000), although the household may have diverse activity portfolio, which might have been maintained for security and/or good returns, individual household members might specialize in single occupations/sectors depending upon their own choice that is often determined by a host of factors. In that event, it becomes imperative to explore those factors, which govern choice of occupations among possible alternatives by the individual workers in rural areas.

Our main purpose in this paper is to examine the patterns and determinants of occupational diversification by the rural workers in West Bengal.

Introduction

The People's Republic of China (PRC) has achieved great success in developing its economy since it conducted economy-wide reforms and opened itself to the outside world. In less than three decades, the PRC has become a leading world economy, the second largest in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, the third largest in foreign trade, the fourth largest in gross domestic product (GDP), and an important engine for global economic growth. One of the key factors for the PRC's success has been its integration into the world economic system, enabling it to use global market resources (markets, capital, and technology). Accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) has made the PRC economy more open, transparent, and integrated into the world economic system. The PRC's new regional strategy, that is forming free trade agreements (FTAs), as well as its foreign investment strategy, have deepened, and the PRC will continue to intensify its economic integration and cooperation with its partners.

The Asia and Pacific region is the source of most of the PRC's FDI inflows, as well as the principal destination of its exports, with the United States (US) and Japan the two largest markets. East Asia accounts for half of the PRC's foreign trade and more than 70% of FDI inflows. The PRC's trade with South Asia is still small in volume, but it is growing quickly.

Introduction

India's recent economic performance has attracted widespread attention. With an average annual rate of growth of 8% sustained over the past few years and a robust outlook for the future, India is emerging as a driver for growth in Asia. Economic reforms undertaken since 1991 have deepened India's economic integration with the world economy, and trade and international investments now occupy a far more important place in the economy than ever. India has also taken a keen interest in regional economic integration with South Asia and East Asia. It is an active member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), among other initiatives for regional integration in South Asia. It has also adopted a Look East Policy to guide its foreign economic relationships and deepen engagement with the Association for South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and East Asian countries, and has articulated a vision of broader pan-Asian economic integration.

This paper briefly overviews the macroeconomic performance of the Indian economy and the emerging patterns of its global economic integration. It also discusses India's approach to regional economic integration in South Asia and East Asia. Its sections (i) provides an overview of the macroeconomic performance of the Indian economy, the economic outlook, and global economic integration against the background of reforms undertaken since 1991

Indian Democracy: Problems and Prospects is the culmination of a UGC sponsored national seminar on ‘The Changing Face of Indian Democracy: Regionalism and Coalition Governments’, organized by the Department of Political Science, Loreto College, Kolkata in September 2006.

The papers presented and published here reflect an attempt to trace and analyse the changing nature of Indian democracy in the last 60 years. The contributions of eminent academicians will no doubt enrich the ongoing discourse on Indian democracy.

I am grateful to all those who presented papers at the seminar and consented to the publication of the same. Appreciation is also due to the faculty and students of the Department of Political Science for making possible this valuable publication. I sincerely hope that this book will contribute towards a deeper understanding of this evolutionary phenomenon in Indian politics.

Allied military plans to win the war in 1917 were derailed by a distracted Russia and by a breakdown of discipline in the ranks of the French army in the wake of Nivelle's debacle. The waning effectiveness of the Russian and French armies made Britain the mainstay of the anti-German coalition. The numerical advantage on which the Entente had counted to wear down the Germans was nullified, at least for the foreseeable future. Britain faced two dangerous choices. If it took on the Germans with only limited help from its European allies, it would bleed to death and be unable to sustain the struggle in the final stages.

The other option was to remain inactive until American forces could be thrown into the scale. But the United States was unprepared to fight in a major war. Both the British and French governments had tried unsuccessfully to urge Washington to permit and encourage the massive enlistment of Americans in their respective armies. For the immediate future, American assistance would be limited to one division. The best estimate in London was that American troops would not be able to assume a large burden of fighting in the land war until late in 1918 or even 1919. Thus, if the Allies remained quiescent in the west, there existed the possibility that the Germans would seize the initiative and finish off Russia or Italy or both, forcing Britain to accept a peace settlement that would deprive it of much of its empire and its status as a first-class power.

First published in 1961, M Anantanarayanan's The Silver Pilgrimage, though not a well-known novel, does have a selected readership. Its author, who was born in 1907 and who died a few years back, was a judge in the Madras High Court, a connoisseur of music, and a recognized figure in the intellectual circles of Madras. He was not a writer by profession and The Silver Pilgrimage is his only novel. His father was the distinguished English and Tamil writer, A Madhavaiah, the author of books like Thillai Govindan (1908) and Clarinda (1915). The Silver Pilgrimage itself is a unique novel. Its narrative technique is a mixture of fable and fantasy, somewhat reminiscent of another neglected novelist, Sudhin Ghose. It differs from Ghose's works in that it is set in the mythical past of medieval India, though the narrative voice is thoroughly modern. The overall effect, as Harvey Breit points out in his preface, is magical:

Arun Kumar Das Gupta exercised a singular influence on the thought, research and teaching of a generation of pupils who themselves became teachers, sometimes largely owing to his example. Still more importantly, he provided a model of learning, dedication and academic probity to his students at large. Directly and indirectly, he has been a force and an inspiration throughout Bengal – indeed elsewhere in India – for the study of European literature, art and culture.

Professor Das Gupta has been critically identified with the programme of English studies evolved at Presidency College, Kolkata, above all through the efforts of Tarak Nath Sen. But more than his predecessors, he brought the fruits of that tradition to a far wider range of beneficiaries. This volume is a belated and inadequate tribute to this exceptional scholar and teacher. Practical constraints required that contributors be restricted to Professor Das Gupta's direct pupils, and that the papers relate to his dominant interest, the Renaissance.

In effect, this book is a grateful offering from a group of former pupils, all associated with Jadavpur University and most of them on its staff. Professor Das Gupta never had any formal connexion with Jadavpur: all the more reason to record his substantial impact, through his pupils teaching there, on the Jadavpur English programme, especially as regards Renaissance studies.

Many spiritual and philosophical concepts are generally considered off limits for any scientific analysis and evaluation, as the modern scientists consider that science has developed its ideas from the observation of matter, be it in gas, liquid or solid form. This is far from the truth. There are several examples where philosophical concepts dominated the development of scientific ideas. Some of the contradictory attitudes may actually stem more from historical conflicts between religion and the empirical development of scientific principles than a real divergence between the philosophical concepts and scientific ideas. In fact, a sympathetic approach to understand the interconnection between science and spirituality/philosophy reveals more commonality and synergism than conflict and mutual exclusivity. This article will elaborate on this issue, taking examples of some of the most fundamental concepts such as the origin of the universe and time on one hand and understanding the yuga cycle on the other.

MATRIX OF MAYA

In 1993, a mainstream scientist and Nobel Laureate, Francis Crick, wrote a book called The Scientific Search for the Soul. It indicated that scientists are interested in the question of the deeper basis of the operation of this universe even as they are disillusioned with their search for the most fundamental particles constituting the elements. There is an indication that a mental game theory is taking shape from the ancient wisdom of saints and sages in terms of the exploration of Maya.

Schumpeter's Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy was published in 1942—after he had published Business Cycles in 1939. These books contrast sharply. While Capitalism can be read fairly easily by interested laymen, even experts find that Cycles is hardly readable in its totality. Cycles represents Schumpeter's research efforts during the 1930s to integrate theory, history, and statistics in order to explain business cycles as reflecting the process of capitalist economic evolution. Its architecture can be compared with that of a Gothic cathedral: out of an initially simple structure emerges an enormous degree of complexity. In comparison, Capitalism's treatment of the topic of the destiny of capitalism has a functionalist architecture.

The preparation of the relatively straightforward treatment of the problems of capitalism started in parallel with the production of Cycles and it was completed between 1939 and 1942. Therefore, Capitalism has sometimes been interpreted as the outcome of Schumpeter's need to relax. This interpretation explains the writing style and the provocative formulations that have served to make Capitalism his most-read book. It also explains why Schumpeter defensively told Paul Samuelson (2003, 465) that he had produced an “off-the-cuff pot-boiler”—that is, a rough sketch that is written to make money. The famous economist Lionel Robbins drove the idea of relaxation to the extreme by suggesting, in a conversation, that the book provides “supremely intelligent after-dinner talk” (quoted by Elster, 1983, 112).

This paper attempts to highlight the Ayurvedic tradition as a model that can serve as a platform to synthesize science and spirituality in the context of healing. Before venturing to examine this proposition, we need to understand the epistemological foundations of Ayurveda upon which a theoretical structure has been erected that encompasses the methods of both science and spirituality. As we proceed with this daunting task, we will realize the need to define and differentiate science and spirituality in the first place.

When we begin to familiarize ourselves with ancient methods of knowledge-building, the rigid compartments that dichotomize science and spirituality begin to dissolve. It becomes clear that the ancient knowledge systems did not profess such distinctions in the sense that we do today. What we encounter is a matrix in which these two approaches have blended naturally, so much so that it becomes difficult to distinguish between the two. It is when we impose our modern ideas of the scientific process and spiritual method that we are able to discover a theoretical framework that has fused these two seemingly conflicting approaches so spontaneously.

We have to discriminate between religion and spirituality to ward off misconceptions that may arise when we look at science and the scientific method. Religion is to spirituality what technology is to science. In other words, we can say that religion is the technology of spirituality.

He may not have succeeded in reinterpreting and implementing the core tenets of Islam as per the needs of the compulsive circumstances; however it is indubitable that Sir Sayyid's life and writings have been subjected to contending interpretations. For both Muslims as well as non-Muslims, he is the repository of a difficult heritage. There are not few in the subcontinent for whom he remains the progenitor of Partition; for many more he nurtured the irrevocable Bidad (a reprehensible religious innovation) and thus sprinkled salt on the wounds of South Asian Muslims who had not yet recovered from the agony engendered by the dispossession of power and privilege. The extinction of the Muslim rule had caused great pain and anguish 48 Science and Spirituality and with Sir Sayyid's radical intervention challenging long cherished values and belief systems in the religious sphere, the pain was further accentuated.