The question of women and the nation, especially among minorities, features this collection of essays. Discussed are: the claims of Tamil nationalism in Sri Lanka from the standpoint of the Southern Tamil woman: the 'new woman' in contemporary Indian cinema: the colonial and nationalist histories of the Hindu law of marriage and women's property: the Indian debate over the universal civil code: the concept of minority rights within modern theories of citizenship: the new Hindu Right: and the exploration of violence in the cultivation of masculinity.