Girmitiya nationalism: Lived cultures and diasporic bonding in a plural society

Abstract Nationalism studies tend to focus on a relatively closed and abstract nation. This paper addresses these features by analysing the case of Girmitiya nationalism, a nationalism in the Indian diaspora that broadens the exclusive focus on the nation. It introduces the concept of lived culture that makes the nationalism of an ethnic diaspora community concrete and specifies the interaction between global forces and local life. Using data obtained as a member of the studied ethnic community and deploying additional concepts such as ethnogenesis, Creole hegemonic nationalism, ethnification, diaspora bonding and Girmitiya ideology, the paper demonstrates the usefulness of the concept of lived culture. The concept of lived culture thus discloses the specificities of Girmitiya nationalism, while countervailing the tendency to restrict the focus on the nation and offering a route to broaden the focus.