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The on going COVID-19 pandemic has succeeded in bringing before us many social, political fault lines which can no longer be ignored and must be addressed urgently. The first is the phenomenon of inequality in power, status, wealth and living conditions which has been growing rapidly in recent decades within countries and between countries. The second is the clear decline of publicness in society, economy and politics. Inspired by capitalism, individual enterprise and private initiative have been eulogised to such an extent that the state's investment in basic public goods such as health, education, housing and child welfare has remained woefully inadequate. The third fault line is an over-centralisation of power leading to a clear decline of democracy by manipulating institutional mechanisms and making full use of the technology of mass communication to mobilise votes. If these emerging fault lines don't engage global rulers immediately then the sufferings faced by humanity the world over will explode.

Deepak Nayyar, Employment, Growth and Development: Essays on a Changing World Economy. London: Routledge, 2017, xiv+260 pp., ₹895, ISBN: 978-1-138-03812-7 (Hardcover).

Not only did the great Odisha Famine of 150 years ago result in the death of a million people, it formed a tentative start of formulating an official response to major calamities in modern India. The Famine Commission Report of 1867 and the Indian Famine Code of 1880 were considered part of the relief and welfare measures to address the countless casualties caused by famines, food scarcity, starvation, epidemics and malnutrition. It is argued here that historical episodes, such as the 1866 famine and the Paika Rebellion of 1817, fought against the British, should be seen as a 'process' rather than simply as an 'event'. Therefore, we should examine deeper causes such as land relations, uncontrolled market and free trade apart from administrative failures as the common perception does. This conceptual discourse on the famine takes a human rights perspective to examine the role of the state, civil society organisations and the media in preventing disasters and alleviating human suffering. Over 150 years after the occurrence of the famine and 200 years after the rebellion, some of the structural reasons behind them still continue to deprive the masses to their right to life.

Like any other Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Fiji has limited entrepreneurial opportunities. However, these countries have some unique high value niche products that have attracted global attention. Among the limited niche products in Fiji, kava (Piper methysticum) known as 'yaqona' or 'grog', is a popular agricultural and industrial product. Kava is not only a traditional, ceremonial and social drink in Fiji, but also a product that contributes to social and economic development through export and foreign exchange earnings and provides employment, and livelihoods, and alleviates poverty. As a beverage and pharmaceutical product, Fiji kava is increasing its importance nationally and internationally.

The paper analyzes kava in Fiji as an entrepreneurial and business product, its trends in production, trade, 'niche market', growth potential, its role, and also explores the issues and challenges associated with kava in Fiji.

Praful Bidwai, The Phoenix Moment: Challenges Confronting the Indian Left, New Delhi, HarperCollins, India, 2015, 586 pp, ₹599, P-ISBN: 978-93-5177-516-4.

This article addresses the question of why despite the enormous success achieved by China in economic growth there are significant indicators showing relatively adverse life situations for women in many respects. A falling proportion of women in the population, unfavourable employment situation, disparity in wages, inadequate representation of women in political leadership are some of the indicators of the negative fallout of the Chinese growth story even as women too have benefited from the substantial improvement of Chinese people's livelihood conditions during the recent decades. Based on field visits to Wuxi over a thirty-year period and using macro data we argue that the Chinese experience raises serious questions about the pattern of economic growth that has been adopted by the Chinese leadership and advanced globally in recent years.