Social and Political Participation of Indian Diaspora in the UK

Abstract

The diaspora communities are quite unique and play a significant role in establishing connections between cultures in the contemporary world. Diaspora, on one hand, is an asset, and on the other, it can be a potential source of conflict in the host society. Diaspora is an asset, in terms of their economic, social and cultural contribution it makes to both the country of origin and destination. On the other hand, because of their different cultural, religious, linguistic and regional affiliation, they can also, at times, be a source of friction with the natives and mainstream culture of the host country. There have been instance of their perfect integration with the host society at one end of the continuum, and their ethnic distinctiveness/differences and un-assimilability becomes a factor for divisions between ‘us’ and ‘them’. Interestingly, diaspora communities also exhibit a unique blend of culture and way of life of their home and host country. Drawing from this framework, this article focuses upon the social and political participation of Indian diaspora in the UK. The article begins by understanding the patterns or phases of international migration to the UK from South Asia, in general, and India, in particular. The ‘Indian Diaspora: Historical Overview’ section discusses the social aspects and political participation of Indian diaspora in the UK. The article provides an overview of the history, trajectory, social and political participation of Indian migrants in the UK and underlines the issues and challenges faced by Indian diaspora using secondary data, statistics and sources based on primary academic research. The nature and extent of social and political participation of any community is an indicator of their degree of influence in and integration with the host society. This article establishes that Indian diaspora has assimilated itself well with the British society along with retaining its cultural distinctiveness.