"This book offers a panoramic yet in-depth historical analysis of the inter-linkages between India and Malaysia, which are a microcosm of the much larger relationship between South Asia and Southeast Asia, as these have evolved for more than two millenia. Both regions shared rich traditions, first of their Hindu and Buddhist, and later of their Islamic heritage. Till the arrival of European colonialists about five hundred years ago, the people of South and Southeast Asia interacted freely and peaceably. Trade, religion and culture were the leitmotifs of this interaction, and technological prowess in shipbuilding its mainstay. By the end of the eighteenth century, colonial machinations, including the forced demise of India0́9s shipbuilding industry, had impoverished large swathes of people aross South and Southeast Asia, and severely restricted their interaction. Indentured labour and convicts, overseers and foremen, railway workers and members of the police force: these were the categories that served the interests of the colonial power. The book documents in chilling detail the tribulations faced by the enormous movement of manpower between India and Malaysia. The book brings out the role played by Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, among others, in shaping the relationship between India and Malaysia in the twentieth century. The book details the intricacies of the negotiations in the run-up to Malaya0́9s independence, together with the key issues of cooperation between Indian and Malaysian leaders, including Mahathir Mohamad, Abdullah Badawi and Najib Razak."--Publisher's website.

In 1938, noting that the bulk of the Indian population formed a "e;landless proletariat"e; and despairing of the ability of the factionalized Indian community to unite in pursuit of common objectives, activist K.A. Neelakanda Ayer forecast that the fate of Indians in Malaya would be to become "e;Tragic orphans"e; of whom India has forgotten and Malaya looks down upon with contempt"e;. Ayer's words continue to resonate; as a minority group in a nation dominated politically by colonially derived narratives of "e;race"e; and ethnicity and riven by the imperatives of religion, the general trajectory of the economically and politically impotent Indian community has been one of increasing irrelevance. This book explores the history of the modern Indian presence in Malaysia, and traces the vital role played by the Indian community in the construction of contemporary Malaysia. In this comprehensive new study, Carl Vadivella Belle offers fresh insights on the Indian experience spanning the period from the colonial recruitment of Indian labour to the post-Merdeka political, economic and social marginalization of Indians. While recent Indian challenges to the political status quo - a regime described as that of "e;benign neglect"e; - promoted Indian hopes of reform, change and uplift, the author concludes that the dictates of political discourse permeated by the ideologies of communalism offer limited prospects for meaningful change.

Malaysia is among the most ethnically diverse and culturally rich nations on earth. Yet much of its cultural wealth lies buried beneath the rubric of its main Malay, Chinese and Indian "race" categories; the dazzling diversity within and outside these groups remains largely unexplored. This book uncovers some of this fascinating diversity through the stories of five little-known acculturated ethnic groups in Peninsula Malaysia. The author, a Malaysian sociologist, delivers an insightful and lucid study of these groups, with some surprising findings. These communities illustrate how much more cross-cultural mingling, sharing and co-dependence there is within Malaysian society than we care to recognize, admit or celebrate. This raises various questions: Is a similar process of spontaneous inter-ethnic interaction possible between larger ethnic groups today? How can we foster such acculturation, and can it by itself contribute to ethnic harmony? The author also discovers that despite their long settlement and deep acculturation, segments of these groups are anxious about their future, and pine for an indigenous identity. What are the implications of this trend for ethnic relations, and how can it be resolved? This book traces the acculturation journey of these communities and draws lessons for ethnic relations in one of the most complex multi-ethnic nations in the world. It will appeal to scholars, students, laymen and visitors interested in migration, history, culture, ethnicity and heritage in Malaysia and the region.

This edited volume examines the many facets of contemporary Malaysia-India bilateral relations. The contributors provide analysis from the perspectives of trade and economic relations, people-to-people connections, tourism, security cooperation, ethnic identities, comparative religiosity, and revisiting the historical links between these countries.

As competition is increasingly taking place on a global scale, tourist destinations must act more like businesses than they have in the past. Development in the tourism sector has often been beset by ambiguities and contradictions and has been the subject of debate across a range of disciplines in terms of its sustainability and level of social commitment. New Governance and Management in Touristic Destinations analyzes the most proper governance model to be implemented to increase the competitiveness of tourist destinations. It also focuses on the need to develop a managerial orientation capable of making the tourism system interact with tourism demand. Covering topics such as electronic word of mouth, gastronomic tourism, and sustainable development, this book is essential for practicing hospitality and tourism managers, professionals in the hospitality and tourism industry, specialists and consultants, government officials, researchers, educators, academicians, and students.

This book analyzes the successes and failures of various federal measures adopted in India, Pakistan and Malaysia for the political accommodation of diversity. Bhattacharyya then assesses their comparative significance for other countries in Asia. In particular, he examines growing tensions between nation and state-building in ethnically plural societies; modes of federation-building in Asia; persistent ethno-nationalist tensions in federations, and the relationship between federalism and democracy; and federalism and decentralization. Since ethno-nationalist conflict remains unresolved in most countries of Asia, this book should of interest to those seeking long-term solutions of problems of order and stability in ethnically diverse countries in Asia.