Indian Diasporic Communities: Exploring Belonging, Marginality and Transnationalism

(Indian) Diasporic Communities in a people-centered perspective: Exploring Belongings, Marginalities and Transnationalism by Rashmi Singla, P.K. Shajahan & Sujata SriramThe Indian diaspora across the globe is approximately 30 million strong, and is undergoing major transformations. This chapter focuses on the Indian diaspora, in Denmark, and the United States of America.. The historical and policy related aspects contextualize the experiences of members of the transnational community.The theoretical frameworks in the chapter include diasporic subjective processes of dispersal, connectedness (Dufoix, 2008) and processes of multiple inclusion/ exclusion and ambivalences in the notion of belonging (Kalra et al. 2005). Furthermore transnational linkages between India (desh) and the Indian diaspora abroad (videsh) through multiple means, including on-line technology are explored.The first person voices of the diasporics illustrate the people centered approach as a methodological orientation. The empirical cases (Singla, 2008, 2015, Sriram, 2014) are based on qualitative- in-depth interviews with families and young people and diasporics in exogamous marriages with Danish spouses (mixed couples). The results show a nuanced understanding of belongings and marginalities of Indian diasporics through double belongings, negotiations, virtual interconnections as well as exclusion from various groups in the country of origin and in the country of residence. Finally the chapter provides some suggestions for promoting interconnections, communication and linkages between the Indian diaspora and India.

Key words: Indian diaspora, policies, interconnections, double belongings, inclusion/ exclusion, marginalities, promoting linkages

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