A.R. Vasavi, a Social Anthropologist, was formerly a professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. Her academic interests are in the field of sociology of India, agrarian studies, and sociology of education. Her previous books are Harbingers of Rain: Land and Life in South India; In an Outpost of the Global Economy (co-edited); and The Inner Mirror: Translations of Kannada Writings on Society and Culture (edited).