CONNECTING ACROSS THE SEA: IMAGINATIVE CREATIONS OF THE INDIAN DIASPORA IN OMAN

Dr. Sandhya Mehta

Oman

Shiv Temple, Muscat

The Earliest Indian Presence Of Indians In Oman Goes Back To 1781, According To Anecdotal

Evidence

Early Indian merchants in Muscat

‘Home’ Among The Indian Diaspora In Oman Is Opposed To Traditional Images Of The Marginalized

Indian Diaspora in Oman is different owing to the country’s physical and cultural proximity to India

Historically, Living In Oman Has Been A Seamless Experience, Particularly For The Merchant Classes

Gujarati women interacting with a vendor in Muttrah souk

The Spice Route Included Ships Sailing From India Along Oman To The Red Sea

These Families Were In Control Of The Trade In The Port City Of Masqat

Gujaratis interacting with one another at a function held in Masqat

Defining Diaspora

“It has been historically referred to displaced communities of people who have been dislocated from their native

homeland through the movement of migration, immigration or exile.”

(Brazid, Mannur)

Associations Of Diaspora

Diaspora around the world has been associated with loneliness, marginalization and loss of identity.

Historically, the major movements of Indian communities included labour movements to the Caribbean, post-independence movement across India and Pakistan and the third wave of economic movement to the west.

Indian Diaspora Statistics in Oman

According to Indian Embassy sources, the statistics of the Indian community are as follows:

1. 25% of the total Indian community belongs to the labour class.

2. 30% are semi-skilled working class.

3. 35% are in skilled sectors.

T a l e s I n c l u d e T h a t O f M r . J i g n e s h S u r t i , A S i x t h G e n e r a t i o n M e r c h a n t F r o m M u t t r a h S o u k W h o

T a l k s A b o u t T h e I n d i a n T r a d e r s , P r i m a r i l y F r o m K u t c h A n d T h e S u r a t A r e a O f M o d e r n G u j a r a t ,

Modern Muttrah:Gujarati Merchants’ Tales

Sunaina Serna Ahluwalia

The Writer, Sunaina Ahluwalia, Admits That A Primary Motive For Writing The Novel Was Her Increasing Sense Of Indebtedness To Omani Society And The Need To 'Give Back' To The Community

S u n a i n a a t t h e l a u n c h o f h e r d e b u t n o v e l , A S a f e H a r b o u r a t B a i t a l B a r a n d a M u s e u m

Sunaina Serna Ahluwalia

Sunaina Serna Ahluwalia’s Published And Upcoming Novels

A Safe Harbour

Point of No Return

An Autumn Melody

Asha Iyer Kumar

BUT BEING A KEEN OBSERVER OF PEOPLE AND THINGS AROUND ME, I REALISED THAT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, I HAD COLLECTED IN MY KITTY,

A LOT OF THINGS TO WHICH I WAS RARING TO RESPOND IN MY OWN PERSONAL WAY. THIS INCLUDED MY NUMEROUS OBSERVATIONS AND

EXPERIENCES AFTER I CAME TO THE GULF IN 1998. THESE IMPRESSIONS OF PEOPLE AND LIFE WERE SUCH THAT THEY DEMANDED A MORE

SERIOUS TREATMENT THAN AN ORDINARY FEATURE, ARTICLE OR A SHORT STORY. THUS CAME ABOUT THE IDEA TO STRING THE

IMPRESSIONS TOGETHER AND CREATE A NOVEL

“ W I T H A G E , I D I S C O V E R E D T H A T T H E G U L F D R E A M W A S N ’ T A S S H I M M E R I N G A S I T L O O K E D .

I T W A S A R E A L I S A T I O N T H A T B R O K E M Y J U V E N I L E F A L L A C I E S A N D T H E N O V E L I S A N

O U T C O M E O F T H I S S L O W A N D S Y S T E M A T I C U N D E R S T A N D I N G O F T H E L I V I N G - A L O N E E X P A T

P E O P L E I N T H E G U L F . T H E K A L E I D O S C O P E O F T H E I R L I V E S P R E S E N T S E N D L E S S P A T T E R N S . ”

Asha Iyer Kumar

Kumar’s novel, Sand Storms, Summer

Rains

Pinaki Chakravorthy(Photo-journal of the Bedouins)

“ C O M I N G B A C K T O O M A N H A S M A D E A B I G D I F F E R E N C E I N T H E W A Y I P E R C E I V E M Y

W R I T I N G . I F E E L T H A T B E I N G I N O M A N H A S C O N T R I B U T E D T O W A R D S T H E W A Y M Y

W R I T I N G I S A B L E T O A C C O M M O D A T E T H E T W O E X T R E M E E N D S O F T H E S P E C T R U M ,

B E A U T Y A N D U G L I N E S S . ”

Sandhya Menon

Journalist with H! tabloid and blogger

H O W E V E R , I N C A S E O F T H E B A R K A F O R T A R T I N S T A L L A T I O N , S H E P E R C E I V E D A N A T U R A L

P A R A L L E L W I T H T H E ‘ S H I F T E R S ’ A N D T H A T O F T H E T O W N ’ S H I S T O R Y I N W H I C H B A R K A H A D

H A D V A R I O U S H I S T O R I C A L R O L E S T O P L A Y , T H U S D E M O N S T R A T I N G T H E I N S P I R A T I O N A L V A L U E O F

T H E S U R R O U N D I N G E N V I R O N M E N T A N D I T S H I S T O R I C I T Y T O B I R T H I N G R A D I C A L L Y N O V E L

C R E A T I V E P R O J E C T S A N D E N E R G I E S

Radhikha Khimji

Mixed media and installation artist, Radhika Khimji’s installation-art exhibition held in

March 2010 at Barka fort, Barka, Oman

“ O M A N I S A R E V E R Y W A R M A N D H O S P I T A B L E ; I A M R E A L L Y A D M I R I N G O F

T H E Q U A L I T I E S O F T H E S E P E O P L E . I W O U L D L I K E T O T H E R E F O R E C O N V E Y H O W

P E A C E F U L A N D W O N D E R F U L O M A N A N D I T S P E O P L E A R E T H R O U G H T H E D O C U M E N T A R Y . W H A T O M A N I S P O S S E S S , T H E W O R L D M U S T

K N O W ”

Sudha Sha

Sudha Sha, Film-Maker (right); has directed the short film, ‘The Call’

PadmajaMadhu

This painting re-creates the sense of in-between spaces so characteristic of the diaspora.

MadhuPadmaja

Motherhood explores the universality of emotions using an intensely private moment between mother and son.

CONCLUSION:

• Artistic expressions of the Indian Diaspora in Oman are colored by their past as well as their contemporary realities.

•Indian artists in Oman are re-exploring their cultural position through various new media such as writing, painting, photography, blogging and film-making.

•This pursuit has enabled them to translate their diasporicexperience into one of celebration and creative revelation rather than loss and absence.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• VIMAL PURECHA AND FAMILY FOR VINTAGE FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS

•JIGNESH SURTI OF MUTTRAH SOUK

•SUNAINA SERNA AHLUWALIA, PINAKI CHAKRAVORTHY, ANNE KURIAN, AND SANDHYA MENON