Introduction: The Politics of Integration in Indian Diaspora Societies

Political integration refers to the insertion of individuals and households into a host society. This book argues that in societies containing Indian diaspora communities, political integration occurs as a group rather than as individuals. This groupism enables them to maintain linkages with India while rooting in the host societies. The groupist integration assumes two forms: one in societies where the Indian group is a small minority, as in most Western societies, and one where the Indian group is a large minority and represented by an ethnic political party. The book argues that the dual and groupist integration of Indian communities represent a vexing political issue since prevailing integration notions are governed by old conceptions of the nation-state.