Regular price £26.99 GBP
Regular price Sale price £26.99 GBP
Sale Sold out
Free UK Shipping

Freshly Printed - allow 7 days lead

Caste, Country, and Creed
Struggles for Social Justice in the Contemporary Indian Diaspora

Nisha Thapliyal (Edited by), Ajay Bhardwaj (Contributions by), Sadhu Binning (Contributions by), Raj Chand (Contributions by), Santosh Dass (Contributions by), Sangeeta Kamat (Contributions by), Ajay Niranjane (Contributions by), Aparna Ramteke (Contributions by), Vaibhav Gaikwad (Contributions by), (Contributions by), Balamohan Shingade (Contributions by), Mohan J. Dutta (Contributions by), Nishant Upadhyay (Contributions by), Usha Kumar (Contributions by), (Contributions by), (Contributions by), Anjum Rahman (Contributions by), Shajan Kafka (Contributions by), Kirtika Kain (Contributions by), Textaqueen (Contributions by), Kalpana Wilson (Contributions by)

9781978841765

Paperback / softback, published 11 August 2026

258 pages, 12 color and 5 B-W images
23.5 x 15.6 x 1.4 cm, 0.454 kg

"The most populous country on the planet may be majority Hindu, but there is no single identity or politics that defines India's vast migrant population. Caste, Country, and Creed reveals in rich detail how social justice work and community activism to combat caste and religious discrimination unite and uplift Indians abroad. These are migrants' stories, filled with pain and the promise of a better future, that are so needed in this moment." - Shobana Shankar, author of An Uneasy Embrace: Africa, India and the Spectre of Race

"Driven by the urgency to respond critically and emphatically to the growing threat of the far right, Nisha Thapliyal has marshalled an impressive set of globally leading voices championing the rights of the oppressed. Featuring reflective dialogues with contemporary anti-caste, anti-race, anti-sexist, and anti-imperialist activists amongst South Asian diaspora, this is a grounded and invigorating resource for justice seekers." - Meena Dhanda, editor in chief, Oxford Intersections: Racism By Context

What happens when ancient systems of oppression travel across oceans? How do Indian diaspora communities across five nations challenge centuries-old systems of oppression while building new forms of solidarity? Caste, Country, and Creed: Struggles for Social Justice in the Contemporary Indian Diaspora takes readers inside the dynamic world of contemporary social justice activism spanning Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

This groundbreaking collection brings together the voices of artists, activists, and scholar-activists who are reshaping conversations about caste discrimination, Islamophobia, and Hindu nationalism beyond India's borders. Through intimate first-person accounts and critical reflections, contributors reveal how diaspora activists are creating powerful counter-narratives and mobilizing collective resistance across local and transnational networks.

The book documents the lived realities of organizing—the values, knowledge traditions, and pivotal moments that spark political protest. Caste, Country, and Creed shows how activists construct alternative knowledge to dissent, build solidarity, and inspire political participation. Contributors offer nuanced insights into the complex relationships and power dynamics that sustain collective action for social justice in the Indian diaspora.

For copyright reasons this edition is not for sale in India.

Abbreviations

Introduction: Charting Modes and Moments of Contemporary Activism in the Indian Diaspora

NISHA THAPLIYAL

Part I Historicizing Contemporary Activism in the Anglophone Indian Diaspora

1 When Solidarity Becomes Resistance: Reflections on Confronting Fascism in the Diaspora

SOUTH ASIA SOLIDARITY GROUP (SASG), UK

Interlude I: Poems and Commentary by Sadhu Binning and Ajay Bhardwaj

2 Resisting Islamophobia in Aotearoa New Zealand: An Interview

ANJUM RAHMAN WI TH NISHA THAPLIYAL

3 Anti-Caste Advocacy in Australia: In Dialogue with Ambedkar International Mission

VIBHAV GAIKWAD, APARNA RAMTEKE , AND AJAY NIRANJANE, WITH NISHA THAPLIYAL

Interlude II: Artwork by Kirtika Kain

Part II Counter Knowledge Production

4 Countering Hindutva Through New Pedagogies and Solidarities: The History and Legacy of Youth Solidarity Summers (YSS)

SANGEE TAKAMA

5 "A Different Kind of News for the Diaspora": An Interview with South Asian Magazine for Action and Reflection (SAMAR) (1992–2022)

SAMAR EDITORIAL COLLECTIVE WITH NISHA THAPLIYAL

6 The Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance (ACDA) UK: Resisting the Caste System and Discrimination Against Dalits and Minorites in the Diaspora

RAJ CHAND AND SANTOSH DASS

Interlude III: Artworks by TextaQueen

Part III Critical Reflections

7 The Hindutva Movement's Co-Option of Indigeneity in Settler Nation-States: Colonization and Resistance

BALAMOHAN SHINGADE AND MOHAN J. DUTTA

8 Toward a Queer Anti-Hindutva Praxis: An Interview with South Asia Solidarity Initiative (SASI) Collective

NISHANT UPADHYAY

9 From Mobilizing to Organizing: Pitfalls and Possibilities in Organizing Indian American University Students

USHA KUMAR

10 Organizing Through Sikhi: Building a Halemi Lehar (Queer Revolution)

HALEMI LEHAR

Conclusion: Putting Struggle Knowledge to Work

NISHA THAPLIYAL

Acknowledgments

References

Notes on Contributors

Index

View full details