South Asian Journal

Contents

In This Issue

(The views expressed in this journal are solely those of the authors)

Nation-Building in Nepal


	Krishna Pokharel, professor of political science at Tribhuvan University in Nepal, examines the theoretical concepts of nation and state, and the role that popular movements have played in the nation-building process. Assessing separately the causes of the 1990 movement, the Maoist-led insurgency, and the recent “April revolution”, he holds that the peaceful resolution of Nepal's ten-year conflict is finally possible.

Nepal’s Unfinished Democratic Revolution


	Prateek Pradhan, editor of the Kathmandu Post, sheds light on the recent half-revolution brought about by Nepal's people against an authoritarian, monarchist regime. The author focuses on the interplay of forces, especially between the Seven Party Alliance and the Maoists, and its implications for the prospects of creating a republic by convening a constituent assembly. Both anti-monarchist blocs are now locked in protracted negotiations to settle the issues of Maoist arms, the nature of a transitional regime, and elections, as Nepal shows other South Asian countries a democratic path in a region still struggling to embrace democracy.

WTO Membership and Nepalese Women


	Shiv Raj Bhatt and Ekta Bhattarai, both economists specialising in trade, look at the status of women in Nepal in the context of its membership of the WTO, which they predict could act as an instrument of trade liberalisation and significantly affect the lives of women. They find that trade liberalisation has had mixed results for gender outcomes, since socioeconomic conditions, institutional arrangements, and access to productive resources determine the extent to which a particular group of people benefits from trade. The authors suggest that Nepal needs active policy interventions to expand human choices and to contribute to increasing income and reducing gender inequalities, especially after WTO membership.

Crisis of Minority Rights in South Asia


	Rita Manchanda, a journalist and human rights activist with SAFHR, provides an overview of South Asia's failure to protect minority rights. She asks why minorities rebel, and locates this in the context of a state design that predicates majoritarianism and exclusion. She examines the limits of strategies of multiculturalism, and different state regimes of protection, e.g., where state constitutions discriminate against minorities, and where ethnic polarisation and war have weakened the minority rights framework and any enduring perspective for rebuilding relations across these communities.

Bangladesh: Amid Hope and Despair


	Dr Imtiaz Ahmed, professor of international relations at Dhaka University in Bangladesh, reflects on the country's colonial and post-colonial legacy of polarised politics and the struggle for democracy. He examines issues of governance, empowerment, and the “governmentalisation” of the state sector and the corruption this invites. He juxtaposes this against the success of “non-governmentality” and its social and political implications. Dr Ahmed also analyses the relationship between globalisation, diaspora, and subalternity, and the impact it has had on the lives of Bangladesh's people.

Sri Lanka: Peace Process under Threat


	Dr S I Keethaponcalan, a political scientist at the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka, analyses the deadlock between the LTTE and the new government of President Rajapaksa, after the latter's failure to implement the Ceasefire Agreement. He shows that a breakthrough between the LTTE and the Sinhala forces aligned with Rajapaksa seems impossible. The author predicts a final war in the near future for which the LTTE appears to have made full preparations, even if Colombo has not.

OBC Reservation and Tamil Nadu


	P Radhakrishnan, professor of sociology at the Madras Institute of Development Studies in India, assesses whether India's judiciary can authoritatively settle the issue of educational reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and whether politicians will be able to translate these judicial decisions into reality. He concludes that the state has failed to address the issue of educating India's next generation in socially equitable and globally competitive ways. He recommends that existing institutions be nurtured by ensuring equity and fairness in intake, and strengthening education at all levels to address the problems of “backward students” more than “backward classes”, irrespective of their social background.

Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations


	Prof Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema, a scholar of international relations, focuses on the initial problems of Pakistan's relations with Afghanistan, highlighting the Pakhtoonistan issue followed by the Soviet invasion and its impact on Pakistan. He analyses the developments that took place after the departure of the Soviets--including various accords among the Mujahideen--the rise of the Taliban, as well as the period after 9/11 and the war against terrorism.

Pakistan’s Textile Sector and the EU


	Dr Karin Astrid Siegmann, a fellow at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in Pakistan, looks at the anatomy of and prospects for trade relations between Pakistan and the EU, focusing on the textile and clothing (T&C) sector. She focuses on EU trade-related policies regarding Pakistan and the structure of its T&C industry, and provides an overview of resulting exports to the common market and likely consequences in terms of industrial and overall development. She also recommends measures to support a healthy trade partnership between Pakistan and the EU in this sector.

2006 Elections and India’s Ruling Coalition


	Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, a leading Indian journalist and director of the School of Convergence in India, looks into the state elections in West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, and Pondicherry, which have resulted in strengthening left-wing influence at the union level. While initially analysing the state elections, he argues that the incumbency factor has failed to extend to West Bengal--where the communists continue to rule--compared to other states such as Tamil Nadu, where incumbent governments have either lost elections or been forced to form coalitions. He concludes by saying that the Left, despite the duplicity of its approach in West Bengal and at the centre, has succeeded in increasing its influence over the Manmohan Singh government.

Rights of Imprisoned Mothers in Pakistan


	Sikander Ahmed Shah and Moeen Cheema, professors of law at the Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan, examine the Pakistani legal provisions that relate to imprisoned women and their children. They analyse the relevant laws and court judgments, including those rendered by the Federal Shariat Courts, to determine whether any special accommodations are mandated for affected women and their children. They also determine to what extent the law provides for the welfare of children in prison and whether this welfare is in any sense determinative for courts when adjudicating on cases relating to continued incarceration of women under Criminal and Hudood Laws.