Historicising the overseas Odia diasporic experience

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Odia diasporic experience from deep antiquity to the present is characterised by unceasing continuity. This experience may be categorised into three distinct periods in history. It includes the Era of Sadhabas (the Merchant community from Kalinga, currently Odisha), the Colonial Era and the Contemporary (from the immediate aftermath of the Second World War to the present). Against this background, this paper periodises the Odia diasporic experience into three distinct categories. It gives the overseas Odia diasporic experience specific attention which remained largely neglected in the politics of academic representation. It argues that the Odia diasporic experience demands unaided attention being an independent category as the Telugu, Tamil and Malayali diaspora have gained without seeking the legitimacy of a broader nomenclatural framework namely Indian. Its growing overseas numeric strength and its diasporic experience in antiquity ensure its autonomy as a major recognisable category in the broader discipline of the Indian diaspora.