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Neo-Diasporic Consciousness in Indian Indentured Literature |
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| Paper Id :
18414 Submission Date :
17/12/2023 Acceptance Date :
23/12/2023 Publication Date :
25/12/2023
This is an open-access research paper/article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. DOI:10.5281/zenodo.10494969 For verification of this paper, please visit on
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| Abstract |
This paper explores the neo-diasporic consciousness within
the Indian diaspora, particularly those rooted in indentured labor, through an
examination of literature. With the Indian diaspora exceeding 25 million in
over 200 countries, migration is driven by historical, political, and economic
factors. The study focuses on the new diaspora, aiming to understand how
individuals maintain Indian values globally. Key objectives include examining
migration processes, the development of diasporic identity, and the role of
ethnicity in shaping a global Indian identity. The research challenges
conventional notions of diaspora, emphasizing its positive role in preserving
cultural heritage. It discusses the establishment of global organizations and
innovative communication methods to connect with diaspora communities. Using
primary and secondary materials, surveys, interviews, and archival documents,
the research aims to contribute a nuanced understanding of neo-diasporic
consciousness, providing a comprehensive report for academic scrutiny. |
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| Keywords | Diaspora, Consciousness, Indentured Labour, Indenture Literature, Migration, Neo Diaspora. | ||||||
| Introduction | The
Indian diaspora, acknowledged widely in academic and political discussions, is
among the largest diasporas globally. Currently exceeding 25 million
individuals, it is dispersed across over 200 countries, with notable
concentrations in regions like the Middle East, the United States, Malaysia,
and South Africa. Migration is driven by diverse factors in the Indian context,
including historical, political, and economic considerations, along with push
and pull factors such as educational opportunities, improved prospects, and
marriage. The terms diaspora and transnationalism, initially referring to distinct phenomena, now increasingly overlap. Many Indians have left their homeland for various reasons, ranging from indentured labor to pursuing better opportunities. While the genuine and intense sense of homelessness experienced by immigrants has historically been prevalent, recent developments, such as enhanced social networking and a strengthened sense of solidarity, have mitigated this concept. Despite the challenges, the Indian community has demonstrated a remarkable capacity for adjustment, adaptability, mobility, and accessibility. Bhiku Parekh eloquently captures this aspect, likening the
diasporic Indian to a banyan tree, a traditional symbol of the Indian way of
life. Like the tree spreading its roots in several soils and drawing
nourishment from different sources, the diasporic Indian establishes multiple
homes, gradually feeling at home in the world rather than being truly homeless. |
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| Aim of study |
Diaspora studies consists of old and new diaspora
highlighting the elements of search for roots, quest for identity, alienation,
exilic sensibility, longing for belongingness whereas the proposed study will
explore new area of research in which the consciousness of the people of Indian
diaspora will be analysed. It also identifies as to how the people of Indian
origin maintains the greatness of Indian values across the world. The study
connects the people of new generation to their ancestral land. The research would
also explore the opportunities for the financial growth and development of the
nation with the help of modern diasporic people. It will also safeguard the
common interest of girmitiyas and provides them the solidarity of platform to
fight against the atrocities and injustice made upon them all over the world.
Such girmitiyas will also connect emotionally with each other without the
discrimination of caste creed religion and the statehood. One of the objectives of the research is to explore the process of migration and settlement of Indians in Western countries. The study will explore how the people of Indian origin unite as an Indian group and gave up their heterogeneous multi-regional, linguistic, religious and cultural identities. The emphasis also would be on how did they develop self-maintained organized associations and consciousness and maintained their Indian identity. The role of ethnicity in helping them to strengthen their diasporic identity as well as how did they developed their global identity as an Indian diaspora will also be analysed. The chief questions I will investigate are, Is the diasporic population totally assimilated in the foreign land and have become global citizens or do they still retain their cultural values and the memories? Do they want to return to their homeland to settle down permanently or are they happy with the new identity, hyphenated identity that they have gained in the alien land? What role does memory play in the lives of diasporic population? What is the concept of Home in diaspora? Is this globalization has opened the gates for economic development or is it leading to neo-colonization? The Indian diaspora, cultural and ethnicity is
based upon the root of their ancestral land without knowledge of the return.
The promise of return given to them as an assurance was only a façade, a rush
to tempt them to uproot and dislocate themselves. It is proved that they did
not return to their homeland in spite of their resistance; struggle which they
replicated in their literature, wherever they had been located. But replication
can never be a substitute for reality, persistent and perception because, to
quote Edward Said, “Exile is strongly compelling to think about terrible
experience. It is a permanent rift forced between a human being and a native
place, between the self and its troop borne, its essential sadness and can
never be surmounted.” It is true that literature and history contain heroic,
romantic glorious even triumphant episodes in an exile’s life. The achievements
of exile are permanently undermined by the loss of something left behind
forever. Culture is a body of beliefs and practices in terms
of which a group of people understand them and the world, and organize their
individual and collective lives. It is a mental artefact which prevails among
all Indians despite plurality in language, climates, dress codes, customs and
traditions. During the postcolonial period it is the dire need to acknowledge
the grandeur of Indian Culture and delve into it to seek answers and resolve
all the problems in contemporary society.
It should be taken into account that Indian
Diaspora is not a bane but boon for the world because exilic sensibility,
nostalgia, alienation, melancholy, longing for belongingness are not the only
issue to be explored but we should also realize that all the 21st century
diaspora look back to their root nation and glorify the same. |
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| Review of Literature | The research will be path breaking in the sense that global
scenerio are organized such as Fiji Girmit Foundation, Newzealand, Girmit Foundation,
Indian Diaspora Centre, GRFDT, GOPIO etc to safeguard the interest of the
People of Indian Origin. Dr. Satish Rai established Ravision Theatre to promote
the Indian Cultural Baggage across the world. The research is innovative in the
sense that the communication will be maintained with the people of the thrice
diaspora such as Sharadanand Harinandan Singh. Mr. Singh from Netherland wants
to connect with the PIOs of Surinam with their root country. The research also
encourage people to search the ancestral land of their forefathers. Apart from
written documentations, Films and theatrical programs may be organized to
consider the magnanimity of India. Girmitiyas are settled across the world so
they may proliferate India their root nation on account of their fortitude and
servitude. The right perspective of history, politics, sociology and culture
will be presented with the help of this research. |
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| Main Text | Primary and secondary materials related to the
research will be collected and compiled. The basic books in various streams
related to research such as History, Sociology, Political science,
Anthropology, Psychology and Literary texts of different Languages will be
collected. The writings as well as manuscripts of the people from countries
Fiji, Mauritius, Trinidad, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname even settled in Canada,
Australia, U.S., U.K., Denmark and other parts of the world will be procured
for the study. Indian scholars also contributed in the field so they should
also be taken into consideration for exploring Indian as source of their root
and consciousness. Archival documents like the indenture contracts,
personal and official letters, old photographs, folk songs and folktales will
be collected as a primary source. Documents related with the lineage of the
girmitya descendants will also be collected to find their ancestry. Surveys in the form of Google Forms and Google
charts will be conducted to obtain more data in lesser time. In addition to the
interviews with the descendants themselves, surveys and interviews will be
conducted in their native village/town in order to understand the cultural
affiliation of those living in foreign lands. A detailed study of the literature written about
the girmitiyas and their descendants would be done. The research would focus on
going through maximum works published in related areas to grasp the nuances of
the indenture era and the double migration of most of the descendants. Conferences/seminars and multiple online and
offline talks/lecture session by prominent thinkers and academicians associated
with diaspora studies will be attended by the researcher for better
understanding of the recent developments in the field of diaspora study. Talk
sessions with girmitiya descendants will also be arranged to study how they
managed to preserve their native culture that helped them in building their own
lives. A formal report will be prepared after the study
and analysis of all the collected data, interviews, surveys, existing
literature and the information provided by the academicians and other resource
person during the talk sessions. The prepared draft of report will be sent for the process of proofreading and reviewing by other eminent academicians to minimize errors and for any significant addition in the final report. |
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| Conclusion |
Basic literature related with Diaspora, Indenture,
Girmitiya, Trans-nation, Global and Local Hindu scriptures in different
languages will be collected because it prevails in most parts of India. Texts
of different schools of Knowledge such as Economics, History, Political
science, Psychology such as Trauma theory, anthropology should be taken into
account to be the part of the research. It is pertinent to collect the data of social strata from which most of the people went as Girmitiyas. It has been observed that most of the people of down trodden society had adopted the system because they were exploited but not only the British but Landlords of India. Online and offline surveys will be conducted to obtain more data which will better the research work. |
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| References | 1. Bahadur, Gaiutra. Coolie Woman: The
Odyssey of Indenture. The University of Chicago Press,
Chicago. 2014. 2. Boolell, Sir Satkam. For the Love of My
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Majdooron ki Adamya Saahas Gatha. Jvp Publication Pvt. Ltd., 2020. 4. Jain, Ravindra K.Nation, Diaspora, Trans-nation:
Reflections from India. Routledge. 2022. 5. Jairam, N. From Indians to
Indo-Trinidadians: The Making of a Girmitiya Diaspora. Geo Journal
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