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Rajendra K. Jain (Ed.), India, Europe and Pakistan. New Delhi: Knowledge World Publishers, 2018, pp. 278, ₹960. ISBN: 9789386288882.

Universities are inherently and definitionally universal in their quest for the creation and dissemination of knowledge. They are set to defy borders that exist in parochial forms. Globalization which opened up borders has by design or default created inequalities and imbalances in knowledge systems. Undoubtedly, knowledge is power but there is difference in the power that is intrinsic to it and the power that is ascribed which is determined by dominant political and economic hierarchies. If knowledge predominantly flows from global north to global south, people seeking knowledge move from global south to global north. These imbalances are also seen within these regions, between cultures and communities, one claiming superiority over the other. These realities call for a reassessment of not only what constitutes knowledge, but also what encompasses the idea of borders. This book elaborates on the inclusive role of education that can act as an equalizer or as a catalyst for creating a level playing field across borders. Print edition not for sale in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bhutan)

Cultural metaphors are used in intercultural communication to understand the nuances of national cultures. The idea of cultural metaphors elaborated by Gannon and Pillai provided a set of standard metaphors for cultures of several nations. In the case of India, two cultural metaphors, namely the 'Dance of Shiva' and the 'Kaleidoscope', are provided to understand the dynamics of national culture. This article attempts a theoretical understanding of the relevance of 'cultural metaphors' in intercultural communication and examines their appropriateness in the case of India. Furthermore, it re-examines the established cultural metaphors for India through the examination of its metonymic features. Finally, suggesting a cultural metaphor distinctly different from that outlined by Gannon and Pillai for India, this article aims to extend the idea to understand the cultural underpinnings of India.