From the Blurb
Ethnic Activism and Civil Society in South Asia: Edited by David N. Gellner; Pub. by Sage Publications India Ltd., B1/I-1, Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area, Mathura Road, New Delhi-110044. Rs. 750.
Second in the series named ‘Governance, Conflict and Civic Action’, this volume looks at civil society in the light of case studies of different types of ethnic (communal) activism in Nepal, Sri Lanka and India. The articles, grouped under four heads, examine the Hindu nationalism, the Dalit activism, and the Janajati movement (in Nepal) and seek to establish that they are driven by the same impulses — to assert their self-respect and pride; to resist injustice, and reassess the previously stigmatised symbols and so on. How ethnic activists wrestle with official categorisation and the traditional practices and strive to effect a radical change on the social, political, and intellectual fronts is brought out effectively.
In his introduction, titled “How civil are ‘communal’ and ethno-nationalist movements?,” David N. Gellner, who has edited the volume, says the problem with “some ethnic activists” is that they are “willing to act illegally and violently,” in pursuit of their goals, especially where that appears to be the only option to obtain a hearing. He goes on to argue that insofar as they wish to participate in emergent global civil society, “ethnic movements will feel some moral pressure to modify their means and compromise their ends.” If the case of Sri Lanka shows how “polarisation can rapidly squeeze the possibility of neutrality or even-handedness out of the public sphere,” the case of India suggests that “pluralisam and democracy can permit some emergence of an open civil society.”
Intellectual Property Rights in WTO and Developing Countries: Published by Serials Publications, 4830/24, Ansari Road, Darya Ganj, New Delhi-110002. Rs. 1450.
The subject of trade-related intellectual property rights (TRIPS) has always been very controversial.
The areas of intellectual property covered by the TRIPS agreement include plant and seed varieties; micro organism; copyright and neighbouring rights; trademarks (including services matters); industrial designs; geographical indications; integrated circuits; and trade secrets. For every one of them, certain norms of protection are prescribed and a transition period is allowed for attaining these norms. In most cases, legislations are in different stages of formulation and implementation.
This book, which has a bunch of 32 articles, discusses the IPR-related issues in the WTO context and insofar as they affect the developing countries. While some of the themes are general in nature — for example: IPRs and WTO; Impact of WTO on agricultural marketing; IPRs and their impact on developing countries; and WTO and labour standards — a good number of them are country-specific and often based on case studies, with India claiming a major share. Some of the India-specific areas that have received attention are: health infrastructure; tea industry; small scale industries sector; women empowerment; agriculture; edible oils; and dairy products.
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