AN OVERVIEW OF DIASPORIC LITERATURE IN POSTCOLONIAL CANON

Abstract

Diaspora originally refers to the dispersion of Indians beyond the boundaries of India. It is known as a migrated population whose origin is in the Indian subcontinent. Historically, diaspora goes back to the British era, when the British invaded the Indian subcontinent. The term diaspora is derived from the Greek language which means ‘to scatter’. But the term is now described to show any migration of people, language, and culture. Cohen describes diaspora as the communities of people living together in one country who acknowledge that the old country nation often buried deep in language, religion, custom, or folklore- always having some claim on their loyalty and emotions. The literature of diaspora refers to the works written by those who live outside their native land. There are various types and kinds of diaspora literatures-African, Australian, Arab diaspora, and so on. Among these, Indian diasporic literature has caught the attention of writers, historians, and sociologists. Since, many Indians have migrated to a foreign land, and written down many well-known works, this paper, as such is an attempt to give an overview of diasporic literature in post-colonial canon, annexed with theorization of some of the common issues reflected in the Indian diasporic fiction.