GLOBAL INDIAN DIASPORA: IDENTITIES, TRAJECTORIES AND TRANSNATIONALITIES

Between 1845 and 1917, close to 144,000 Indians migrated to Trinidad under the system of Indian indenture, most of whom opted to make Trinidad their permanent home. Today, almost 170 years later, the descendants of those immigrants are intrinsically woven into, and have indelibly coloured Trinidad and Tobago’s social, cultural, political and economic landscape. A checkered history has yielded a community rich in its presentation, resolute in its commitment and resounding in its application.

In commemoration of the 170th anniversary of Indian arrival in Trinidad and Tobago, The University of the West Indies is hosting a three day international conference from 12 - 16 May 2015. This conference entitled “The Indian Diaspora: Identities, Trajectories and Transnationalities”, aims to engage the many processes, perspectives and themes that have emerged throughout the establishment and constant re-articulation of Indian diaspora communities globally. The conference will go beyond the more tangible and visible aspects and explore Indian diaspora communities as dynamic entities, both generating and evincing transformation rooted in the vagaries of the social, political, geographic, economic and cultural landscapes of their respective locations. The conference hopes to highlight and explore new perspectives on such issues as conceptualizations, dislocation and relocation, cross cultural exchanges, nationalisms, identity and the changing realities of the Indian Diaspora.