Seventeenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

This paper establishes how Indian transnational and diaspora populations in host land(s) try to assert their identities through the use of various social media networks and platforms. It looks into how Indian diaspora as a whole engages with social media to stay connected with its kith and kin; use social media campaigns to be a part of the changes their motherland is going through; take part in online campaigns related to India’s political, social, or cultural matters; and try to assimilate in the host land culture through these networking sites. Indian diaspora is often termed as the most connected diaspora in the world, and the leveraging of this diaspora by the Indian government through social media, is testimony to the significance of these online networks to the present Indian diaspora and transnational citizens. This paper would thus focus on understanding how Indian transnational citizens form “digital diasporas” and “cyber grass-roots organisations (CGOs)” to produce new identities for themselves and reproduce already established ones. The use of online campaigns, unique hashtags, and use of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to produce unique connections with both the homeland and host lands would be studied.