Destitute Indians at the Crossroad： Auctioned Body Parts in Padmanabhan＇s Harvest and Doomed Wealth in Sharma＇s The Plebian Rag＇s

Sitting under the shadow of the cataclysmic British rule for close to two centuries, during which British or western lifestyle was imposed on almost every fabric of Indian life, many Indian literary authors present characters whose excruciating economic malaise and yearning for western technology pollute and wreck their cultural heritage and identity. The anxious and susceptible characters of Indian authors are prone to western temptations, enticements, which they misconstrued for a bridge to prosperity and tranquility. Besieged by a grim choice of abject poverty and corrosive wealth devoid of cultural dignity, Manjula Padmanabhan＇s characters in Harvest and Sunil Sharma＇s characters in The Plebian Rag＇s desperately spurn or embrace western lifestyle with its attendant consequences.

A Study on the Appraisal Right of Dissenters

Starting with legitimacy of the appraisal right of dissenters, this paper describes the current situation of our country＇s legislation and makes a detailed analysis of the applicability of this system. It also puts forward suggestions on how to improve the system of the appraisal right of dissenters.

Fueling Dissent

FOR Nigerians who have long enjoyed having their fuel prices subsidized, events in early January pulled the rug out from under them. The Nigerian Government removed its oil subsidy from January 1 this year, an action it said has become necessary to provide money for the improvement of the country＇s inadequate infrastructure and complete the deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry.

External regulation, independent director attendance,and governance effects

In this study we examine how the regulation of director attendance disciplines directors’behavior,and consider the governance effect of such regulations.This examination exploits the differences between the requirements for director attendance at board meetings enacted by the Shanghai Stock Exchange(SHSE)and by the Shenzhen Stock Exchange(SZSE).Using a difference-indifferences model with a sample of A-share listed firms from 2006 to 2017,we document that the rate of meeting attendance by independent directors who serve with firms listed on the SHSE(SHIDs)has increased significantly since the exchange’s enforcement of the regulation on attendance.This positive effect has been more pronounced for independent directors with legal backgrounds.Further investigations find that the regulation of attendance plays a corporate governance role through the mechanism of enhanced monitoring.The attendance regulation increases the SHIDs likelihood of casting dissenting votes,and it leads to both better accounting performance and higher firm value.In addition,SHIDs are more likely to depart from firms listed on the SHSE,and to transfer their directorships to firms listed on the SZSE,which has a less constraining attendance requirement.Our findings provide evidence of how external regulation shapes director attendance and voting behavior in emerging markets.

Dissenting Opinions in International Commercial Arbitration

Disenting opiniom have controversial roles in international commercial arbitrations. Legal professions from different legal systems have their respective philosophies and attitudes to the roles of dissenting opinions. With the development of global economy, almost all major intemadonal arbitration institutions have made great attempts to reconcile the different philosophies in order to create a disputes-resolving mechanism for the participants of international commercial activities.

Li Ang＇s Gendered Dissent in ＂The Devil in a Chastity Belt＂

Through a close reading, this article explores a few aspects of gendered dissent in Li Ang＇s story, ＂The Devil in a Chastity Belt,＂ which reveals the ambivalence and irony of a woman＇s participation in the Taiwan Residents opposition movement. Instead of writing a stereotypical work of political fiction for the opposition movement that she supports, Li Ang interrogates the problematic intersection of gender and politics, while reclaiming some of the neglected aspects of oppositional history. While recognizing the inevitability of historical contingency, she nevertheless questions the politically-motivated choice of asceticism, heroism, and sacrifice over individual and familial well-being. Li juxtaposes seemingly trivial and disorderly details of ordinary life against the apparently important and grandiose arena of national politics, creating tension through their interaction and contention. She employs images--including the Devil, the female body, and sensory feelings--to perform gendered dissent. While the lyrical and trivial discourse gradually disrupts the political and didactic, the story＇s open-ended conclusion inspires complex interpretations of the enigmatic symbol： the Devil wearing a chastity belt.