Editorial

Authors

  • Adrian Gilbert & Lionel Lumb

Abstract

Welcome to the 15th issue of the International Journal of Anglo-Indian Studies (writes Lionel Lumb). The many Anglo-Indian Web sites, the flood of memoirs, academic papers, stories and articles, and frequent international and regional conferences, all point to the reinvigoration of a community proud of its heritage and confident of its identity in this new millennium. But it wasn’t always so. As Sheila Pais James writes in her contribution to the Journal: Since the early days of colonial rule, it was difficult for Anglo-Indians to answer with certainty the question: ‘Who am I?’

For the sake of those readers who might not be too familiar with our origins, the IJAIS begins with a fast overview from a Canadian writer, Margaret Deefholts: Who Are The Anglo-Indians? Margaret is co-editor of Voices on the Verandah (see the article Book Notes) and author of Haunting India, and has contributed before to both the Journal and the Wallah. Her web page is: www.margaretdeefholts.com

Next is The Anglo-Indians: ‘Home’ in Australia and the Dilemma of Identity, in which Sheila Pais James explores the concept of ‘Home’ for the Anglo-Indians in their search for identity in Australia. Sheila Pais James is doing her PhD at Flinders University, South Australia, where she is undertaking research into Identity and the Anglo-Indians. She previously worked as a Lecturer in Sociology at Delhi University; as a Project Officer for Caritas India (a Development Aid Organisation); and as a Tutor in Sociology and Development Studies (Flinders University). She is a frequent contributor to the Journal. E-mail: [email protected]

New to our readers is Mark Faassen, an MA student in Political Science at McGill University in Montréal, Canada. He contributes a fascinating paper on identity politics spanning two continents, India and (South) Africa entitled, Imposed Identities: A comparative analysis of the formation of the Anglo-Indian and Coloured Identities. Email address: [email protected]

Rudy Otter is more familiar to readers of the print magazine Anglos In The Wind and of the Wallah as a short story writer with a highly developed sense of humour (http://www.alphalink.com.au/~agilbert/fight.html). But here he trains his satirical sights on one of the old bugaboos of Anglo-India, colour consciousness, in Unfair Attitudes.

The final contribution is Book Notes, brief reviews of recent books.

Please keep your work coming in – Dr. Adrian Gilbert and Prof. Lionel Lumb Editors of the IJAIS.

Dr. Adrian Gilbert - Editor, The International Journal of Anglo-Indian studies.

Prof. Lionel Lumb - Editor, The International Journal of Anglo-Indian studies.

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Published

2008-01-30