Diaspora (from the Greek, meaning scattering , dispersion ) is the mass migration of people with common roots to more than one location. The word was first used for Jews exiled from Israel in ancient times. The Indian diaspora, of over twenty million, is spread across many regions and continents. This collection of essays examines the concept of diaspora, considering its cultural, economic, geographical, political and social dimensions, and focuses on the Indian diaspora. It also examines issues of displacement and resettlement, and of the creation of a distinctly socio-religious Indian community. This volume reflects on conceptual and methodological questions, as well as the historical contours of the issue. Readers will find analyses of the nature of migration, ethnic divides and tensions, and linkages with the homeland. Case studies of the Indian diaspora in Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Fiji, as well as the diaspora of Dalits, provide insights regarding multiculturalism. Discussions on how place is being substituted by space and how globalisation gives a new direction to migration are among the distinctive features. The essays also traverse the fields of sociology, social anthropology and cultural mediations. An invaluable resource for students of modern Indian history, politics and sociology, this book should appeal to all those interested in understanding the ramifications of the Indian diaspora. This collection will be of help to researchers enquiring into multicultural ties, and policy makers concerned with international relations.
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