Purushottama Bilimoria, Jayant Bhalchandra Bapat and Philip Hughes: The Indian Diaspora: Hindus and Sikhs in Australia.
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Purushottama Bilimoria, Jayant Bhalchandra Bapat and Philip Hughes: The Indian Diaspora: Hindus and Sikhs in Australia. Melbourne, Manticore Press, 2019, 450 pp., $49.95 (Paperback) ISBN: 9780648499602 Dalbir Ahlawat 1 Accepted: 13 October 2020/ # Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
The Indian Diaspora: Hindus and Sikhs in Australia makes an immensely significant contribution to knowledge, policy awareness and social appreciation in Australia on the Indian migrants. The compendium developed under three themes: The Hindu Diaspora, The Sikh Community in Australia, and General Reflections on the Indian Diaspora in Australia are also enriched with two resourceful appendices: The Importance of Diasporas; and ‘Afghan Cameleers’ and ‘Indian Hawkers’ and the Settlement of Australia: Race, Gender and the South Asian Colonial Diaspora. It features a rich array of 15 chapters that capture the historical lineage of the early Indians up to the current times. Based on interviews and surveys of the migrants, meticulous archival research, judicious examination of public sources and the use of both the qualitative and quantitative analysis, this book makes a vital contribution in understanding the role of the Indian diaspora in Australia. In the introduction, Bilimoria contextualizes the historical antecedents related to migratory processes, the circumstances and the challenges faced during the early migration. He takes the reader through an excursion of history on the Indian diaspora’s involvement in camel rearing, mining, agriculture and the service sector in Australia. This chapter highlights a valuable account of the major boost to the Indian migration that took place after the rolling-back of the White Australia policy in 1973. Subsequent chapters trace the trajectory of the Indian diaspora. Notwithstanding the Muslim and Sikh being independent religious denominations, the British labelled all Indians as ‘Hindoo’ in 1830 (p.64). The labour shortage in the British colonies led to ‘coolie’ migration in 1779, indentured labour in 1837, and Ghans for camel handling in the latter half of the 19th century. Of significance, the volume highlights the fortitude of
* Dalbir Ahlawat [email protected]
1
Department of Security Studies and Criminology, Macquarie University, NSW 2109 Sydney, Australia
Journal of Dharma Studies
the Indian diaspora in retaining its cultural, lingual and religious practices despite the hardship endured. The Hindus demonstrate exceptional flexibility and adaptation while retaining and practising the beliefs and cultural practices of the home country despite local constraints like health and environmental regulations to perform wood-pyre cremation in open and performing elaborate Vedic-Agamic rituals without the presence of several priests. Over the decades, the traditional caste-system has faded and religious ceremonies are opened to non-Hindus. Furthermore, Hindu organizations with several lineages and visiting gurus, swamis, yogis and sect leaders play a vital role in filling the void. These tran
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