John Solomon

Region of Interest	South Asia
Primary Country of Residence	Australia
Title	Doctoral Candidate
Affiliation	University of New South Wales
Email	john.solomon@unsw.edu.au
Mailing Address	School of History and Philosophy University of New South Wales AUSTRALIA
Countries of Specialization	India, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan
Research Interests	I am a current history PhD student working on my doctoral thesis entitled, "Identity Evolution in a Diaspora Community: The Gradual Disappearance of Untouchability in Singapore, 1819-1970". This thesis seeks to use the changing significance of caste identity amongst Tamil immigrants in Singapore as a trope through which to explore the ways in which the Tamil diaspora in Singapore has negotiated new identities amidst an evolving cultural relationship with India. My research interests include the Tamil diaspora, caste identity, Indian penal transportation, the Indian National Army, the transnational spread of Dravidian politics, 19th century missionary ethnography, Indian society in Singapore/Malaysia and Japanese-Indian collaboration during the Second World War.
Publications	"Tamil Cultural Separatism and the decline of Pan-Indian identity in Singapore: 1856-1965", South Asia: The Journal of South Asian Studies, (accepted for publication).
Keywords	identity ; diaspora ; untouchability ; caste ; Tamil ; nationality ; ...