It is a political study of the controversy surrounding the issue of the uniform civil code vis- -vis personal laws from a South Asian perspective.

At the centre of the debate is whether there should be a centralized view of the legal system in a given society or a decentralized view, both horizontally and vertically.

This issue is entangled within the threads of identity politics, minority rights, women 's rights, national integration, global Islamic politics and universal human rights. Champions of each category view it through their own prisms, making the debate extremely complex, especially in politically and socially plural South Asia.

So, this book attempts to harmonize the threads of the debate to provide a holistic political analysis.

India-South Asia Interface raises the fundamental question: How does one make sense of South Asia? Conventional wisdom defines it primarily in terms of regional and international politics. The failures of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) are emblematic of that wisdom. Marking a departure from such approaches, Partha Ghosh makes the case that more than merely a political construct South Asia must be understood as a shared social consciousness. Through chapters that explore topics such as threats to democracy, religion and politics, the place of Kashmir, different conceptions of regionalism, the roles of America and China, and the issue of refugees and migrants, he demonstrates that there is no escape from reinventing the region from a people's perspective. Only this way can South Asia retrieve its soul and replace its cynicism and despair with expectation and hope. Based primarily on Ghosh's research articles and newspaper columns written over the last five years, the volume can be viewed as an intimate statement of his understanding of the region; an understanding that has matured through decades-long interactions with the region's academics, politicians, and the so-called 'man on the street'. In some sense, the volume is also a semi-autobiographical treatise, which spells out Ghosh's systematic evolution as a confirmed South Asianist. The region's destiny ought to be wrested, he therefore argues, from the hands of its political leaders and returned to the common men and women of the region. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

It is a political study of the controversy surrounding the issue of the uniform civil code vis-a-vis personal laws from a South Asian perspective. At the centre of the debate is whether there should be a centralized view of the legal system in a given society or a decentralized view, both horizontally and vertically. This issue is entangled within the threads of identity politics, minority rights, women's rights, national integration, global Islamic politics and universal human rights. Champions of each category view it through their own prisms, making the debate extremely complex, especially in politically and socially plural South Asia. So, this book attempts to harmonize the threads of the debate to provide a holistic political analysis.

First published in 1997, this study reveals the forces of nationalism and internationalism at work side by side in the populous and volatile regions of South and East Asia which make up the 11 chapters of this volume. They cover regional security, political economy, territorial disputes and national unification. Problems such as those of Cambodia and the nuclearization of India, Pakistan and North Korea create serious international concern, while unresolved regional issues force nationalistic and military conflict. The irresistible popular pressure for economic integration with the global system, often without any corresponding commitment to political freedom, underlies it all. The cumulative effect of these diverse processes creates an explosive mix of international rivalries and national revolutions which raises the question of the possible arrival of the 'Asian Century'.

The viability of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has always been a bone of contention in socially and politically plural South Asia. It is entangled within the polemics of identity politics, minority rights, women's rights, national integration, uniform citizenry and, of late, global Islamic politics and universal human rights. While champions of each category view the issue from their own perspectives, making the debate extremely complex, this book takes up the challenge of providing a holistic political analysis. As most of the South Asian states today subscribe to a decentralised view and share a common history, this study is an excellent comparative analysis of the applicability of the UCC. In this work, India figures prominently, being the most plural and vibrant democracy, as well as accounting for almost three-fourths of the region's population. This provides the backdrop for an analysis of the other states in the region. This second edition will be indispensable for scholars, researchers and students of law, political science and South Asian Studies.

First published in 1997, this study reveals the forces of nationalism and internationalism at work side by side in the populous and volatile regions of South and East Asia which make up the 11 chapters of this volume. They cover regional security, political economy, territorial disputes and national unification. Problems such as those of Cambodia and the nuclearization of India, Pakistan and North Korea create serious international concern, while unresolved regional issues force nationalistic and military conflict. The irresistible popular pressure for economic integration with the global system, often without any corresponding commitment to political freedom, underlies it all. The cumulative effect of these diverse processes creates an explosive mix of international rivalries and national revolutions which raises the question of the possible arrival of the 'Asian Century'.

The viability of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has always been a bone of contention in socially and politically plural South Asia. It is entangled within the polemics of identity politics, minority rights, women's rights, national integration, uniform citizenry and, of late, global Islamic politics and universal human rights. While champions of each category view the issue from their own perspectives, making the debate extremely complex, this book takes up the challenge of providing a holistic political analysis. As most of the South Asian states today subscribe to a decentralised view and share a common history, this study is an excellent comparative analysis of the applicability of the UCC. In this work, India figures prominently, being the most plural and vibrant democracy, as well as accounting for almost three-fourths of the region's population. This provides the backdrop for an analysis of the other states in the region. This second edition will be indispensable for scholars, researchers and students of law, political science and South Asian Studies.