Is legal pluralism relevant to a study of law in Asia?

The essay question concerns one of the most influential frameworks through which the study of Asian law has taken place – legal pluralism. There is considerable discussion about the various dimensions of legal pluralism and how to use the framework to study legal systems. To some, it brings up the scary prospect of state law having to give way to all kinds of claims for other orders to have the status of ‘law’. To others it is merely descriptive or analytical framework through which one can see the components of legal systems and how they inter-relate.