OUR CONTRIBUTORS Dr N G BODAS is at the Department of Physics, Madhav Institute of Technology and Science, Gwalior. Dr MALCOLM CALDWELL is president of the Campaign/or Nuclear Disarmament; editor. Journal of Contemporary Asia; and is at the Department of History, School of Oriental and African Studies, London. RUDDAR DATT is principal, School of Correspondence Courses, Delhi University. He was formerly president of the Delhi University Teachers9 Association. K P MUKHERJI is at the Department of English, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. E M S BAMBOO DIRIPAD is a member of the Polit Bureau, Communist Party of India (Marxist), SHARAD PATIL is secretary, Dhulia District Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Sakri, Maharashtra. ANAND PRAKASH is at the Department of English, Hansraj College, Delhi University. FROM THE EDITOR THE slim and uneasy chances of peace breaking out in Indochina have spread panic in the South East Asian capitals, both among the Domino' theorists and the local supporters of American presence in the region. Malcolm Caldwell, writing on the spheres of influence in the Malay world, expertly traces the process of displacement of European empires—Dutch and British—by American overlordship. He gives, at the same time, glimpses of the 'wave of the future, the revolutionary struggles of the people'. Also in this issue, E M S Namboodiripad answers Joan Robinson on the relevance of Marxian economics today. We invite readers to take part in this debate through the Communication column of Social Scientist with the aim of applying Marxist theory to the specific conditions of our country. Sustained research under the multi-disciplinaiy methodology of the social sciences has already yielded guidelines for a scientific comprehension of ancient and medieval Indian history. In discussing Dasa-Sudra slavery, Sharad Patil contributes to the progress of historical research along materialist lines, vastly enhancing the understanding of our past.