Connecting with Homeland: Media Consumption of Afghan Diaspora in India

International Journal of Communication and Media Science

© 2021 by SSRG - IJCMS Journal

Volume 8 Issue 2

Year of Publication : 2021

Authors : Gowhar Farooq

10.14445/2349641X/IJCMS-V8I2P101

How to Cite?

Gowhar Farooq, "Connecting with Homeland: Media Consumption of Afghan Diaspora in India," SSRG International Journal of Communication and Media Science, vol. 8,  no. 2, pp. 1-5, 2021. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/2349641X/IJCMS-V8I2P101

Abstract:

Afghan presence in India dates back centuries. It exists in the form of goods, language, cultural and political influences, and other subtler yet significant forms. The influx of Afghan students, traders, and medical tourists in India, especially post the 2001 regime change in Afghanistan, has given a boost to the relations between the two historical neighbors. The Afghan diaspora in India has, however, maintained its distinct cultural identity through language, food, crafts, and commodity exchanges, giving rise to transnational social formation. In recent years, among other ways, Afghans have maintained these transnational connections through the media. While the transnational flow of Indian media, including its consumption and influence in Afghanistan, has been thoroughly looked into by scholars, the role and influence of Afghan media among the Afghan diaspora in India have largely remained unexplored. This paper looks into how the Afghan diaspora in Delhi engages with media from their homeland. By using ethnographic tropes and by taking a cue from works of transnational media studies, the paper attempts to trace the flows, media consumption, and its influence in keeping the idea of ‘Afghaness’ thriving away from the ‘homeland’.

Keywords:

India, Afghanistan, Media, and Cultural Studies, Digital Media, Diaspora, Transnational Studies.

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