Kala Pani crossings: revisiting 19th century migration from India’s perspective

Abstract

have helped us understand how PIOs in the West constitute one of the thriving communities. The third section focuses on the global dimensions of political integration. The first chapter focuses on the ideological hybridity between what the author calls ‘Diasporic Hindutva’ and radical right in the USA and UK. The next chapter focuses on sending state strategies to mobilise its diaspora. It studies the Overseas Citizenship of Indiaa quasi-citizenship offered by the Government of India (GOI) to PIOs to inculcate a sense of indebtedness and, in the process, shape the contours of belonging. The last chapter in this section focuses on differences within the Indo-Caribbean ethnic group and its impact on political integration. The chapter compares Trinidad, Guyana, and Suriname to argue that the degree of ethnic loyalty and level of integration varies significantly among them and attributes the same to political history, colonial background, and even natural resources/geographical factors. The analysis of the support for ‘right’ policies among ‘Diasporic Hindutva’ would have benefitted by examining whether supporting ‘right’ could be seen as a way to navigate inclusion/ integration in the host society marked by racial hierarchy. A comparison with the Jewish diaspora, also regarded as successful, could have further enriched the chapter. The second chapter’s analysis regarding India’s overseas citizenship could have benefitted by elaborating on how through these strategies, the scalar hierarchy of state power that gets reflected beyond the territorial boundary defines belonging for its diasporic population. The last chapter, like the previous chapters, restricts it to the respective national social field. An interrogation of whether the intensity of exchange/contact with their homeland influences group solidarity and their respective integration strategies cum level of integration would have been insightful. Next, the proliferation of PIOs globally marks an expansion in India’s Kin-Statesa theme that this volume doesn’t discuss much. However, as the recent turn of events from Canada to the UK shows, mobilising for homeland issues in the host countries by PIOs could have implications for Indian foreign policy, thereby complicating the bilateral relationship. To conclude, the book’s focus on the groupist integration of PIOs challenges the dominant individual-centric assimilationist paradigm prevalent in western society that equates society and the state. The book has successfully managed to question the melting pot paradigm that requires absolute assimilation to the host state society and views ethnicity and transnational ties as impediments to successful integration. Therefore, this book offers an interesting read to anyone interested in navigating the complexities of the political integration of immigrant communities in their host society.