74 – South Asian transnational religious networks and political mobilizations
The links between migration, religion and political mobilizations have been widely studied, often by focusing on either transnational political-religious movements or the “politics of recognition” of religious leaders in diasporic contexts. This panel aims to bridge these two fields of studies by looking at the connections between religious and political mobilizations in transnational South Asian contexts. We approach South Asian religious networks in a broad sense, including relations emerging among migrants threatened by religious persecution, religious organizations formed around the worship or leadership of a divine, saintly or guru figure, and nationalist movements, among others. The objective will be to understand how the religious and political diasporic fields intersect. What role do members of religious structures (Hindu temples, gurdwaras, mosques, sects) play in political movements like Hindutva, Khalistan, Tamil or Kashmiri nationalism? If connections exist, are they open, obfuscated, contested from within or without the diasporic population? How are the recognition politics of religious groups and transnational political mobilizations intertwined? How do the politics of exclusion and inclusion come together when examining the relation between local diasporic contexts and global movements? This panel invites contributions on diverse case studies to think jointly about South Asian transnational religious and political mobilizations.