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book I. Politics in China and in Japan.--book II. Contemporary relations: China, Japan, and the United States. ; Mode of access: Internet.

The discipline of history has failed to recognize that it has always been affected by contemporary politics in diverse ways, despite attempts to maintain its autonomy. The article argues that unless the relationship between history and contemporary politics is defined, both would be misused for partisan ends. On this backdrop, the article explores relations between the two in the Indian context and argues that, in India, history was always influenced by political imperatives and contestations. History was used to affirm or deny the claims of the existence of an Indian nation since times immemorial. The article further argues that the use of history for the political project of historically constituting an Indian nation was integral to the events surrounding independence and partition.

As the Obamas settle into Washington and the excitement of the election finale fades, many pundits, voters, and academics are attempting to make sense of the political debacle that was Election 2008. It was very timely that at this past February's Thinking Gender conference at UCLA, one set of panelists discussed contemporary American politics, with special attention to the linguistic and visual elements that both the candidates and media manipulated to influence voters. Presenters from the panel entitled, "From Our Doorstep: Contemporary Politics," moderated by UCLA Professor Juliet Williams, spoke about current issues ranging from the media's portrayal of the election, to the emergence of neoconservative feminism resulting from Sarah Palin's nomination, to the confrontation of America's occupation in Iraq.